Subject: Edward Cullen, aka The Womanizer
by ericastwilight
Summary: Edward's family hire Bella Swan to break the heartbreaker's heart in hopes to have him see the error of his womanizing ways. But she falls hard, too, at the risk of breaking her own heart when the truth is revealed. EXB-AH-OOC
1. Assignment & Introductions

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter One – Assignments & Introductions**

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**Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen 9/2010**

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**Thursday **

**Bella**

I made my way through the restaurant, following the hostess to a table in the back where four people were waiting for me. They potentially were my next clients. I was nervous.

I vowed that if I took on this case, it would be my last. I had not intended on taking any more subjects, but on Jacob's referral, I felt I had no choice. He could pick out a potential subject with ease since he had been one.

I introduced myself to my possible new clients: Jasper and Alice Whitlock and the other couple, Emmett and Rosalie McCarty. All of them were looking over their shoulders, nervously.

Two things were already sending off warning bells and whistles in my head. One, Jasper Whitlock was a former schoolmate from almost a decade ago. Two, Emmett McCarty – the name was familiar to me, though his eyes and face did not remind me of anyone I knew.

I prayed to myself that these two things wouldn't come back to bite me in the ass later.

"Tell me about him," I asked, looking at all their beautiful faces. It was hard to determine who was the most beautiful; they were all breathtaking. Jasper still maintained his long blond mane, and his eyes were as bright as ever. So far so good, he didn't seem to remember me.

_Not that I had thought he would._ I'd had changed considerably, and I was no longer the geeky sister of his best friend in high school.

"His name is Edward Cullen, he's twenty-nine years old and an architect," the big burly one named Emmett said while passing a folder to me. "He's rich and pretty much thinks he's God's gift to women. Edward thinks that because of that, he can break hearts and just throw women away like yesterday's newspaper."

Emmett seemed disgusted by his brother's behavior, which I found rather refreshing. He seemed to be genuinely concerned for these women, and my first thought was that this change was rather recent. I looked over to his wife, who was Aphrodite in human form, and thought she must be the reason why.

"You do realize how this works, right?" I asked, looking into the folder Emmett had passed to me. I had to bite back a gasp. Right there in the folder was a picture of an incredibly handsome man. Edward had bright green eyes, coppery, messy hair and a strong jawline. _Perfect._

"We do, but can you explain it better?" Alice – the cute little pixie-like woman – asked. She seemed like the type of person that was usually rather energetic, but, at the moment, she looked placated.

Jacob Black, a mutual friend, was the one who had recommended me to Alice. She'd made the initial call, sounding nervous at first. When she had told me why she wanted to do this, I'd realized I wouldn't be able to walk away from this case.

She was genuinely concerned for her cousin-turned-brother. She wanted him to feel what she and her family felt every day – love. He needed the type of companionship that could only be found when one allowed themselves to love someone in return. Alice felt that Edward would wander the rest of his life alone if he continued along his self-destructive past.

"Well, I pretty much become your brother's dream girl. I'll have him fall in love with me, then after a while, break his heart. It should effectively bring him down off his high horse and hopefully make him a better person," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

In reality, I made it sound much easier than it would be. Usually it took weeks –sometimes months – to make them feel something for me other than lust. I had yet to find someone easily responsive to me. Don't get me wrong – they wanted me. The problem was that they all only wanted one thing. It took time for other feelings to manifest. With what research I had already done on Edward, I knew he'd be my toughest assignment yet.

And I loved a fucking challenge.

"You said 'usually'. What's your success rate?" Rosalie asked, looking at me intently.

"I have a one hundred percent success rate so far. All the cases I've ever worked on are now either happily married, engaged or in a serious relationship. Most of the time, I'm able to point them in the right direction."

This was true – the only case where the person was not yet completely committed was Jacob. That was another story.

"Is there anyone that could be the potential Mrs. Cullen?" I asked as I continued to read the file. I skimmed over various projects that he had worked on, including a few charity projects. He was donator and all around good person, but that might only be on paper.

"No. There is no one that he's remotely close to." Rosalie snickered – she seemed rather put off by the whole thing. I wondered if she had been jaded before, and if she had, it would most likely explain Emmett's involvement with the case.

"Have you ever fallen in love with any of your subjects?" Jasper asked, his intense blue eyes boring into my own. Leave it to Jasper to ask that question. Even back in our school days, he always was attuned to the feelings of others.

"No," I said firmly. They all flinched slightly, and I knew I would have to explain myself.

"You have to understand that in all my previous cases, I was not myself. I molded myself into someone they saw as their vision of the perfect woman. I haven't yet encountered a subject where I was able to completely be myself," I explained as I looked over a list of some of Edward's favorite types of music and books.

We had too much in common, and it could prove dangerous territory.

"Do you sleep with them?" Rosalie asked, looking at me before cocking a perfectly arched eyebrow.

Ah, the one question they all asked. Unfortunately, you couldn't expect this type of man to attempt a relationship without sexual interactions. I tried to hold off for as long as possible so as to associate sex with something else, rather than just lust. In turn, I had also had feelings for them though never enough for me to fall for them completely.

"Yes. Most cases last a few months, sometimes longer, so it comes with the territory." I paused for moment as I noticed all of them shifting uncomfortably. "That being said, you are not paying me to have sex with your brother. You're paying me to repair his outlook on life, bring out the real Edward and make him believe in love."

They all sighed in unison and nodded, relieved. Or in this case, likely they found it a necessary thing for this type of thing.

"Good. Now that that's settled, how are you bringing me into his life?" I asked, looking at the file. Edward was a partner is his father's company, along with Emmett and Jasper.

"Do you have any recommendations?" Alice asked, taking a sip of water. She seemed much more relaxed, and I noticed her eyes on my bag and my heels. _Ah, a shopper, or at least a woman with taste._ It seemed that way, since the peep toe heels I was wearing cost over eight hundred dollars.

"For someone like your brother, I recommend the 'forbidden fruit' strategy," I said, already formulating a plan. Despite him being the typical player, I felt compelled to up the ante with this one. I was going to have to make every effort to impress him.

"Forbidden fruit?" Jasper asked, looking at his wife, trying to understand the term I used.

"I need to seem unattainable at first, someone he shouldn't go after, like a friend's girlfriend, sister or maybe a co-worker." I looked at each of them, hoping they could offer a suggestion.

For most of my previous subjects, I had been brought in by working beside them in some capacity. Having them grow accustomed to me being around more, knowing I couldn't be turned away like their other conquests, resulted in them remaining interested and me becoming/seeming much more irresistible.

"He needs a new personal assistant," Emmett suggested. "I'm supposed to hire a new one, since his last one sued him for sexual harassment."

I already knew this – it was the main reason Alice had decided to call me. Edward had put his career and his adopted father's company on the line. Moreover, Alice had been great friends with the last secretary, and he'd torn their relationship apart after tossing her aside, moving on to his next fuck. Luckily for him and his company, she'd agreed to settle before it became public record.

"Perfect," I said with a smile, an idea and persona already forming in my mind.

At least I'd be able to dress the way I usually did. It would be the second time I'd work for a subject as a personal assistant. It was generally not something I liked, but it seemed to be the best solution for this case. The more time I spent with him, the more chances there would be for my persona to sink into his head.

"Any chance he has any sexy-librarian fantasies?" I asked Emmett, feeling like he'd know. I only asked because I had a scenario already playing in my head – something that would help ignite his desire for me.

"Of course he does. Why?" Emmett asked warily. I pulled a file out of my attaché case, which was a folder containing some pictures. I gave Emmett one of them. "Damn, you'll have him eating out of your hand if you come in looking like this," Emmett said, passing around the photo of my typical sexy-librarian outfit. I smiled internally.

"That's the idea. Now, since it says in his file that he frequents a local club every Friday and Saturday, I recommend starting tomorrow, since it's Friday."

"Why so soon?" Alice asked, looking at my photo.

In reality, I was bored at my apartment. I'd had Jacob and Nessie help me move in, and I had spent the better part of three weeks obtaining information on my new patients and getting reacquainted with the city. I needed to do something – not for the money but for the pace I'd set my life to. I had to always be doing something or else my mind would wander to places and within memories I didn't want it to go.

I pulled out another photo, passing it to Alice. Her eyes widened, and Emmett let out a whistle. The photo was of my typical club attire.

"I'll make sure he'll see me release some of my inhibitions." I paused, noticing Alice's eyes widening again. "I won't sleep with him that soon." I reassured her. "If he saw me let loose, dressed up a little, he'd keep picturing me like that at the office." Plus, he'd think of me most of the weekend. It was perfect.

"I'll need help in different phases of the mission from all of you. Emmett, you're going to be the first one to help me tomorrow."

He looked a little worried, and I hoped he could act and manage a straight face. He was going to need it. I went into a little more detail of what my first day of work would entail.

**Friday**

**Edward**

I was sitting in my office, going over my schedule for the day, trying to see if I could get out early. It was Friday, and my dinner meetings with Mr. Knight and various clients had run rather late all week – not allowing me the gratification from another's touch that I usually partook in quite often.

I had built up quite a bit of tension lately, and I needed some release. What better way than a few drinks at the club? I just had to linger there for a bit and I had a woman asking me if I could take her home. Instant stress reliever.

There was a knock on my door as it swung open, my big, annoying brother barging in.

"Hey, little bro, the new secretary is here. She's settling in and then I'm going to show her around." Emmett's voice seemed strained, not his usual playful, outgoing self. "Would you like to meet her?"

I rolled my eyes, putting my pen down and walking around my desk. "I don't think I have much of a choice. I'm hoping you hired someone that's easy on the eyes," I said as I walked out my office to the reception area.

"She was the most qualified," Emmett said. He was obviously trying to hide something from me. Most qualified probably meant she was nothing special to look at. Damn him and his logic. I internally groaned because he was just trying to help me… to not get laid.

Asshole.

I looked over the formally empty desk to find the most exquisite creature I had ever laid my eyes on. She was sitting at the desk, looking at something on her computer screen. Her glasses were slightly askew over her deep, chocolate brown eyes. Her heart-shaped face was perfect with her small immaculate nose, rosy cheeks and full red lips. Her dark chestnut hair was piled on top of her head, held up with a black stick, several long curls framing her face. She started to bite her lower lip as I tried to bite back a groan. I shifted uncomfortably.

_What the hell was wrong with me? Never in my life had I ever gotten hard just looking at a woman._

"Bella this is your boss, Edward Cullen." Emmett gestured towards me. "Edward, this is Bella Swan." It was a perfect name for this woman – _Bella._ It rolled off the tongue. Hmm…

A breathtaking smile played on her lips as she pushed herself from the desk, uncrossing an incredible pair of creamy legs. She stood up from her chair, she had a small frame but was perfectly slender and with curves in all the right places. She was wearing a long sleeve, white silk blouse, white pearls just peeking from under the first few undone buttons. Her blouse was tucked into a short, grey skirt that barely reached mid-thigh.

The look was capped off by the fucking sexiest pair of black high heels that made her legs look a mile long. I sucked in a breath trying to shake off my librarian fantasy as she walked closer. Her approach in itself fueled a fantasy of her stalking her prey – namely me. She looked like she was ready to pounce. I'd happily allow her to devour me.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen. It's nice to meet you." Her voice was sweet but sensual. She extended her hand and I took it, not expecting the small jolt of heat hit me. The warmth that further emanated from our fingertips flowed up my arm, across my chest and down to my groin. _Fuck._

I shook it off quickly. "Please call me Edward, Ms. Swan." I said "Ms." because there was no ring on her delicate finger. Oh, and she had sport-length French manicured nails – she'd leave scratches on my back. The idea only caused me to shiver in anticipation.

"Edward, you can call me Bella." She smiled down at our hands, then looked back at me, unleashing her big brown eyes, framed with thick, dark lashes. I lost my train of thought for a moment before I realized I was still holding her hand. I blinked a few times, aware that I might have just made an ass of myself. However, I couldn't bring it upon me to care. She hadn't attempted to remove her hand from mine.

In my head, I cackled. _You'll be mine soon enough, my dear. _

"Bella, why don't I show you around the office?" I asked reluctantly allowing her the use of her hand. I gestured toward the hallway, the other hand automatically wanting to take its place on the small of her back. I kept myself in check and left it at my side.

"Edward, you have a nine o'clock appointment which is in thirty minutes. Do you have enough time to show me around?" Bella asked, walking over to her desk to look at a PDA.

Had she already looked over my schedule? How had she been able to decipher my chicken scratch, much less my codes? Call me paranoid, but the last time I had lost my schedule and address book, I'd lost six very important clients…to my associate, before he'd left my company.

I was quiet, trying to see how she could've had understood everything I'd written on my date planner. She looked at me with a little knowing smirk.

"Your brother went into your office to get me your planner. I must say, you have an impressive code, but I'm a puzzle myself," she said cryptically.

She was a puzzle in more ways than one. She was smart, beautiful and good at solving puzzles. I had to wonder – how did I fit in? Tightly, I was sure. I shook off my dirty thoughts and smiled at her.

"Tour?" She said, reminding me of our discussion. The smirk still in place, as if she knew exactly what I had been thinking. At least she didn't appear offended.

"We've got enough time," I assured her, watching the way she seemed to bite her lip in concentration.

"Okay. Let me just save this document, and I'll meet you in your office in a minute."

"Perfect." I walked away and headed back into my office. I immediately began to pace back and forth. I never paced. In one morning, I felt my whole world being turned on its axis.

_How can one woman have this kind of effect on me? Then again, who gives a fuck? I just want her in my bed, that's what matters._

I was lying to myself; I had never wanted a woman so bad, and I knew I couldn't have her. My father and Emmett would kill me if she tried to sue the company for sexual harassment after I had used her for my own selfish needs.

But fuck, I was a man, and this man wanted that woman.

**Bella**

"That went better than I thought," Emmett scoffed. "He couldn't take his eyes off of you. I've never seen my brother have to adjust himself in public, either."

"Yes, that did go well. Now, you know what to do?" I asked before reapplying lipstick. I had never been one to wear too much makeup, but I knew the effect of a lush appearing mouth had on men.

"Yep, I'll see you in the employee's lounge," Emmett said before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

I adjusted my skirt and made sure that my blouse had some buttons left open – not enough that it gave him a full view but enough to have him want to see more. I grabbed my PDA and opened a new notepad document.

I walked over to Edward's office door and knocked.

**Edward**

"Come in," I said, and my voice cracked. _My fucking voice just cracked._

"I'm ready," Bella said, entering my office and looking at me with that sweet, innocent smile and big brown eyes. I had to shake off the dirty thoughts that sprang up the moment she'd entered my office.

"First of all, I have a full bathroom and shower in my office." I pointed just behind a wall of bookcases. "I've also got a full-size closet." I gestured to a door just across from the bathroom.

Was it wrong that while explaining and showing her around my office, I was already fantasizing fucking her in every room and on every surface until she couldn't walk anymore? _Nah._

"My dry cleaning gets delivered here every Tuesday and Thursday. Let the delivery guy in, but you have to watch him if I'm not here. He'll drop it off and pick up whatever I leave him."

"Tuesday and Thursday – dry cleaning delivery and pickup." Bella wrote the instructions in her PDA. She returned her attention to me, once again unleashing the full force of her eyes on me. I was momentarily stunned by their beauty and depth.

_Gah, "momentarily stunned" – what the hell is wrong with me? I sound like a cheesy romance movie._

"Yes, umm, I like my coffee black with two sugars." I fucking stuttered. "An earl grey tea, one sugar, every afternoon after three pm."

Bella nodded, looking around the office, when the window caught her attention. I watched her facial expressions for a moment as she looked at the breathtaking view of the Seattle harbor.

"May I?" Bella asked, cocking her head toward the window. I nodded.

"Wow, you have a fantastic view," she expressed as she looked out at the Seattle skyline.

_Yeah, I have a fantastic view of your tight little ass. _I shook away the thought before I got caught staring. I adjusted myself again.

"Let me show you where the employee's lounge is, as well as the copy room and the offices you're most likely to visit while working here." Bella nodded before walking ahead of me and holding the door for me.

_If it were up to me, you'll be sucked, kissed and properly fucked in all those rooms, too, _I thought to had that come from?

Usually, after I'd been with a woman, I moved on. I got what I wanted, and there was truly no need to continue further. There were the rare occasions where I'd hook up with someone I had slept with before. But that also tended to get old, and I had put a stop to it a few times – especially when they came looking for me. Now I was picturing myself fucking this woman in various rooms and positions throughout my own workplace.

I could handle giving her a few good fucks here and there. Once I'd been sated, the desire I held for her would fade, and I'd be able to move on, like I'd always been able to do.

"Now, on Mondays, I need you in the office by seven am. You can be here by eight am the rest of the week, and you'll work until six. You'll get an hour for lunch," I said as she wrote notes on her PDA.

"On Fridays, I would like to try to leave the office by four. If you can make sure that happens, you're free to leave early as well."

_Leave with me, and I'll drive you up to my place and give you a grand tour._ I shook the runaway thought from my head before continuing.

"Here's the employee lounge." I gestured to her – ladies first, and then it happened.

Emmett barged through the door with a glass of water and bumped into Bella, spilling the entire content of his glass all over her white silk blouse. It was now wet and see through, a blue lace bra in full view, not to mention the fact that the bra barely covered her pretty pink nipples.

"Oh, dear God," I groaned, my desire for her now apparent.


	2. Torture 101

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Two - Torture 101**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen

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**Edward**

If I had been hard before it didn't compare to how hard I was now. Did I mention I was _painfully_ hard?

Emmett looked at me like he may have heard me, but he shook his head and returned his attention back to Bella, who thankfully appeared to not have noticed.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," Emmett said, all the while looking at her chest.

_Fuck, is he ogling her?_

"Let me get you some napkins." Emmett said, opening the door to the lounge further.

I chanced a glance, and Bella looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Emmett, I don't have a jacket," Bella mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. Thankfully it interrupted my ogling. "What was in that glass? It feels sticky."

Did she say her body felt sticky? Holy hell, I could practically see her body sticky with sweat as I lapped up her juices from her glistening, wet sex. Hmm…I didn't usually do that unless there was something in it for me. For some reason, however, I really wanted a taste of Bella.

She was obviously uncomfortable, and I thought it would best not to tempt myself further. Shaking off the thoughts of going down on her, I pulled off my suit jacket and handed it to her. She shook her head no.

"Club soda," Emmett said, handing Bella some napkins. He had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Bella, just take my jacket, and you can get cleaned up," I said – anything to get her to cover up. It was taking every ounce of control not look at her chest again. However, I completely and utterly failed.

_Oh God, all-lace cup. Fuck me._

"I'll ruin your jacket," Bella mumbled. "Ugh…excuse me." She brushed past me, running down the hall. I glared at Emmett who just shrugged in response.

"Bella, wait, the restrooms here are co-ed!" I called after her. I had made it just outside the door to the restroom when I heard a soft scream and gasp.

"Hey, beautiful." I knew that voice – James. I swung the door open and found Bella at a sink, trying to cover up as James stalked toward her.

I cleared my throat, alerting them both to my presence. My eyes were fixated on James's outstretched hand. A possessiveness I had never felt before emanated suddenly from my chest as I felt it tremble with a whisper of a growl.

"Bella, you can clean up in my bathroom," I stated firmly so that James could hear me.

Bella just nodded in response, her eyes still glistening. She looked completely vulnerable. I offered my jacket again, and this time she took it as she walked past me and whispered a "Thank you" before leaving.

"Hmm…new sex toy, Cullen?" James sneered, his eyes positively giddy with delight.

"No, she's my new personal assistant," I growled, glaring intently at James.

"Even better." James licked his bottom lip.

I felt the possessive spring coil, ready to be sprung again. "Stay the fuck away from her, James," I snapped, taking a step closer.

"Fine, you have first dibs," James spat back, "but once you toss her aside, I'll pick up the pieces, as usual." He always would settle for sloppy seconds, the sick bastard. Not that I really cared, but this was different…I thought.

I laughed. Bella didn't seem the type to fall for someone like James. She seemed too smart to.

Where did that leave me?

"I doubt that," I said. I turned on my heels and left the restroom.

_Is that the way I'm perceived by someone like James? Even he saw what I would do to someone like Bella. _Still shaking my head, I went to my office.

I opened my office door cautiously and made my way to the bathroom door. I heard water running from the sink; I knocked lightly. "Bella?"

Sniffles broke the silence. "Umm, I'm sorry. I don't have anything to wear now."

Oh God, she's in there, motherfucking topless. I shuddered, having to adjust myself again.

_Fucking bastard, she's in there crying, too. _I was completely disgusted with myself.

"My sister Alice sometimes keeps some of her clothes in my closet," I said. "You can borrow something." I waited for a response. I heard the water being turned off and the soft click of the door being unlocked. I took a few steps back.

Bella opened the door slightly, biting her bottom lip nervously. A slight pink flush was coloring her cheeks. She was wearing my jacket with one hand holding it closed, and in her other hand was her wet shirt and bra. She was nervously fidgeting with her wet clothing.

_Shit! Shit! Fuck! She's wearing my jacket without a fucking bra! _

I tried to shake the mental image of her removing that jacket and giving me a view of her breasts, but I was failing miserably.

"Thank you," Bella whispered, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nodded and gestured toward the closet. She walked ahead of me and pulled the door open, gasping slightly when she realized that it was a large walk-in closet. I showed her where Alice kept her things along the right side of the wall.

_Damn pixie thought she owned the place_.

I exited the closet, giving her space to change. I left the door slightly ajar and went to sit at my desk, trying not to think of the topless woman in my closet.

"What time is it, Edward?" Bella called from the closet.

I pretended to look at files on my computer and moved things around my desk in hopes of not alerting her that I was fantasizing about her emerging out my closet naked.

"It's ten to nine," I answered. I looked up at my computer and brought up a file.

"I'll try to hurry, but I have a little problem. Umm, is your sister tiny or something? Nothing fits." Bella sounded frustrated, and I chuckled.

"Yes, she's pretty small," I answered, still laughing softly. I was internally thankful of this fact, because it meant that whatever she wore, it would be fitted around her delectable body. It would fuel even more fantasies about Bella.

Then I thought, _why fantasize_?

"Okay, I think this is the best I can do," Bella said as she stepped out in a very tight v-neck in dark blue. The color stood out in stark contrast to the pale cream of her skin.

_Blue is my favorite color now._

"I'll pay for dry cleaning your jacket, it's wet," Bella said, biting her lip, her hands holding her blouse and bra. I was hoping that the jacket wasn't the only thing wet, because the tip of my cock sure was.

"That's not necessary, Bella. Emmett will pay for it and yours, if you'd like," I said with a smile, trying to reassure her that it wasn't her fault.

"Do you need anything for the appointment coming in?" she asked. She wasn't meeting my eyes, her cheeks still slightly pink.

I found the blushing both fucking sexy as hell and adorable. Weird. I didn't do adorable.

"Yes, can you sit in and take notes?"

"I have a court reporting experience, so I can transcribe everything you dictate." She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I have my laptop with the program I can use."

"That sounds great. Just knock and show them in." I nodded and looked back at my computer.

"I will. Thank you again, Edward," she said as she closed the closet door and left. I took several deep, soothing breathes, trying to clear my head.

_How can a woman be so damn sexy and look so vulnerable at the same time? It just makes me want her more._

_I am so fucked._

**Bella**

I made my way to my desk, pulling out my laptop to get ready for Edward's first appointment of the day. I was mentally congratulating myself for a job well done. Everything had gone according to plan, except for that James guy. I shuddered slightly as I remembered the way he had looked at me.

I might have to consider giving him my card. Usually that piece of paper scared the fuck out of most men. _Want me to analyze everything you do? _

"So how did it go, Bella?" Emmett whispered from behind the door to my office.

"Perfect," I smiled, laughing softly. Emmett looked over his shoulder and walked over to Edward's closed office door. He leaned toward the door to listen in, I assumed.

Once he seemed satisfied, he walked over to me, taking a chair in front of my desk.

"You did a great job," I said. I opened up the program I needed for the appointment. "Thanks. Though club soda was a bit much, don't you think?"

Emmett grinned, obviously proud of himself. "It worked, didn't it? Instead of having to just dry off wearing his jacket, you had to change in his office. I wouldn't be surprised if he was sporting a boner the whole time."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from moaning at the thought.

Edward + hard on = multiple orgasms. _Shit._

"Now we make sure you're invited to the club, right?" Emmett asked, wanting a reminder of the plan.

"Yes, your sister and Rosalie are ready for the next part sometime before he leaves this afternoon," I said, looking over my PDA. "He should be able to leave before four today, so they should come sometime before that. Can you let them know?"

Emmett nodded in response. "Good luck," he snickered as he got out of his chair and left.

I didn't need luck. I just needed Edward to say, "Oh dear God" again.

_Damn, where did that come from? _

Edward Cullen was too damn sexy for his own good, and it wasn't making my job any easier.

_I am so fucked._

**Edward**

Thoughts of Bella kept running through my head, mainly of her coming out of my closet completely nude except for the glasses and heels. She would then stalk toward me, her hand traveling to the stick holding up her hair and releasing the long chestnut locks cascading over her shoulders and neck.

_Great. Now I'm not going to be able to stand up and greet the fucking potential client_. I needed to get her out of my mind.

I wondered idly who I could call – Rebecca, Jamie… No, maybe someone new. I could just pick someone up at the club tonight.

A knock brought me out of my thoughts. Then they went right back to Bella, who was stalking towards me as she led in two men in their mid thirties.

One of the men, which came into the room, had short black hair and the other light brown. The one with dark hair leaned in and whispered in Bella's ear. She blushed lightly, shaking her head.

An inexplicable rage coursed through my body as he leaned toward her once more, causing her to blush again and bite her lower lip. My eyes narrowed, glaring at them both. When Bella noticed my expression, she looked taken aback and stepped away from the client.

"Mr. Cullen, this is Michael Blake." Bella gestured with her hand to the one with the green eyes. "This is David Grey." I lifted myself slightly from my chair and gave them both firm grips, especially the one that had made his intentions toward Bella obvious.

I didn't condone my PA's dating clients, because I'd be an ass, considering I had fucked most of them. I just wasn't used to clients eye-fucking my PA while I was in the room.

Bella pulled a chair slightly behind me and to my left before taking a seat and propping up her laptop on her exposed knees.

The scent coming off her skin was intoxicating. It was some kind of sweet flower, and I didn't know how to explain – warmth. She gave me a breathtaking smile and nodded, letting me know she was ready.

We started going over some of the finer details of a project for a five-story club and restaurant in the greater Seattle area. I could hear Bella typing softly behind me, and I smiled; I could at least have her close to me for now.

Later though, I wanted her writhing under me as I pounded…damn it! I had to stop thinking of her like that right now. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, aware that Bella could probably see my predicament.

Did I want her to know? Why not? It would set the idea in her head that I wanted her.

Every once in a while, I noticed Mr. Grey's eyes wander toward Bella as his business partner talked. I discreetly looked at her from the corner of my eye and immediately understood why.

Apparently it was a little cold in my office.

_Fuck. I can almost taste her hardened nipples on my tongue. What is this woman doing to me?_

I got up from my desk as Mr. Blake continued prattling on about structural changes that the city building department was requesting.

I quickly walked over to my thermostat and adjusted it. "Sorry, it felt a little _chilly_ in here." My voice emphasized the word "chilly" for Bella's benefit. It worked – she gasped slightly and shifted in her chair so that her laptop hid her chest from view.

As much as I wanted to see her sweet nipples calling for attention, I didn't want the asshole ogling them, too.

The meeting continued for another twenty minutes before Mr. Grey and Mr. Blake got up from their chairs to leave. Bella walked to my office door, escorting them out.

Before Mr. Grey exited, he held out his card for Bella. She blushed, looking down and taking the card.

_What the fuck is that? Oh, hell no. She is not going to call that cocky bastard._

Bella nodded curtly, and Mr. Grey left. She was about to step out when I cleared my throat, and it caught her attention; she turned her gaze at me.

"Did you need something, Edward?" Bella asked nervously.

"Yes, please take a seat." Bella bit her lip and nodded, closing the door behind her as she came back in. She took a seat in the chair directly in front of my desk, her hands nervously fidgeting, still clutching her laptop.

"Bella, I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from dating any potential or current clients, or employees of this company. It looks bad," I stated simply, looking up from my desk into her eyes. Her eyes narrowed, and she scowled.

"Mr. Cullen, I might remind you that this morning's incident was not my fault." She paused before continuing, her skin flushed from anger.

"It isn't my fault that I have to wear a sweater too small for me. It's also not my fault that men like that snake in the bathroom and your potential client are pigs. I took his card so it wouldn't threaten your business relationship with him. I have no intention of keeping it. I don't appreciate being accused of being some kind of tramp, especially for something out of my control." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and continued to glare at me.

I cocked an eyebrow, amused by her anger. She glared daggers at me before she lifted herself from the chair and walked away.

At the door, she turned. "By the way, Mr. Cullen, I might remind you that you noticed my little 'problem,' which means that you are by no means a gentleman. Also, I hardly believe that 'Oh dear God' is an appropriate way to respond to a woman from_ your_ office in a see-through blouse." Here words were nearly a growl as she finished speaking, and she slammed the door closed.

Fuck, she had a temper, and it turned me on even more. She'd also noticed what I had said earlier. Of course she had.

_Shit, I'm a fucking idiot._

**Bella**

_Shit, that did not go well, _I thought as I started pacing my office. I placed my laptop on my desk and went over the day's events so far.

First there had been that disgusting, greasy blond-haired jerk in the restroom, and thankfully Edward had stepped in and helped out. Not that I really needed it, but I knew he had been following me.

I had thought at the time that by playing the damsel in distress he would either a.) Be an asshole and ogle me along with the other asshole, b.) Pull out his armor and shield and protect said damsel or c.) Act completely possessive.

Who knew it would be d.) All the above. He had ogled me – more than once. He had pulled off his jacket, basically handing me his armor, and he had been possessive. He'd had fucking growled, I knew I'd heard it. The asshole probably didn't like sloppy seconds.

That other creep Mr. Grey was unexpected. Edward could hardly blame me for that, but apparently he did.

I idly wondered why he had chosen to help me out in the restroom and then again in his office with my "little problem".

_Unless it's something else, could he be jealous? Nah, it's too soon for him to feel that. _It would explain his reaction to Mr. Grey, though.I thought that I should test it out, just in case. I made a few phone calls to test out my theory – to_night._

I had to concentrate on the rest of the day and remain a little pissed at him to hopefully add more fuel to his desire. It was up to Alice and Rosalie to help.

**Edward**

For the rest of the day, Bella remained distant, refusing to linger in my office once a client had left. She also chose not to make eye contact and called me Mr. Cullen with a firm, clipped tone.

I tried several times to coax her eyes to meet mine so that I could in some way convey that I was sorry for what I had implied. She never gave me a chance.

Well, at least my father and brother wouldn't have to worry about another law suit. It figured that I would fuck up her first day.

_Nice going, asshole._

After I had arrived back from a short late lunch across the street at a local deli, I noticed Bella had changed. She was in a sweater that fit her much better and did not expose the smooth flesh from her breasts. It made me want to see them more.

"Bella," I said, but she interrupted me before I could continue.

"Ms. Swan," she corrected with a firm tone.

_Yup, she's still pissed._

"Ms. Swan." I matched her tone. "What's my schedule like for the rest of the day?"

"Mr. Cullen, you have an appointment in twenty minutes for the Mendez Project, which you scheduled for one hour and thirty minutes. Then you're free of appointments for the rest of the day. Do you need me to transcribe for your next appointment?"

"Yes, Ms. Swan." I wanted to at least apologize, but I was interrupted before I had a chance. Two pains in my ass had decided to pay Bella a visit.

Great, that was all I needed, for _them_ to become friends with her. Apparently, their friends were off limits.

Add another reason not to fuck her. The cons were far outweighing the pros. Then I looked at her lovely legs and gave myself two more pros. That of course led to her ass, which added another pro.

"Hello, Emmett told us someone new had started. I'm Alice Whitlock, little sister to the Cullen brothers." Alice made her way to Bella and extended her hand. Bella instantly smiled at my 4'10, younger adopted sibling, taking her hand.

"Bella Swan, it's nice to meet you," she said a smile on her lips, the first one since this morning.

I loved that smile. Too bad it wasn't meant for me. I watched, feigning interest in a file I had.

"I'm Rosalie McCarty-Cullen, Emmett's wife," Rosalie said, also extending her hand. Bella took it, rising from her chair.

"It's nice to meet you. I must say, you are just as beautiful as Emmett made you out to be." Bella smiled again.

"Thank you. I can tell we're going to get along just fine." Rosalie returned Bella's smile with her own.

_Wow, that doesn't happen often._

Rosalie-fucking-Hale-McCarty-Cullen didn't smile at strangers. She had yet to show any warmth toward me, and I've known her for five fucking years. God, you'd think you had to grovel at her feet to get her approval. Apparently, calling her beautiful worked.

I guess I shouldn't have had asked Emmett if _they_ were real when I thought she had been out of earshot at the Christmas party where he introduced her to the family.

As Bella stepped out from behind her desk, Alice let out a whistle.

"Wow, look at those legs." Alice looked at Bella's legs admiringly, and Rosalie joined in, looking impressed.

"You have to tell me where you get waxed. I've never seen legs so smooth," Rosalie chimed in.

"I don't. I had laser hair removal a while back," Bella said, her cheeks flushed. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt while my family continued to eye-fuck her legs.

"Oh my God, I've always wanted to do that. Is it worth it?" Rosalie asked. She slowly took a hand to Bella's thigh, pausing slightly, as though asking for permission. Bella nodded, and Alice followed Rosalie's lead.

_Oh for all that is holy, they're feeling her up!_

"I think so," Bella said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Your skin is so soft – like silk, only better," Rosalie said. Her hand glided along Bella's thigh.

I let out a small squeak that I tried to cover up with a cough and literally ran to my office, slamming the door.

_Fuck! That's a mental image that'll be burned into my eyes for the rest of my life!_

I took several deep breaths and splashed my face with water, trying to calm myself. I wished that was my hand was gliding along the skin of her thigh.

_Damn it, that's not helping._

**Bella**

Alice, Rosalie and I watched Edward head into his office after he had squeaked-coughed. We all laughed quietly.

"That was fun," Rosalie stated with a smirk.

Alice nodded in delighted agreement. "I agree. I'm all for Edward Torture 101."

"That went well, but he was a jerk earlier, something I will not put up with, ladies," I warned them.

I meant that. I didn't tolerate that kind of shit. I didn't take shit from anyone, and certainly not from some womanizing pig.

"Oh no, what did he do?" Alice looked at me, her hazel eyes full of concern.

"He assumed that I would sleep with his clients or employees when two men made advances toward me, even though I didn't so much as a glance in their direction."

"That doesn't sound like Edward," Rosalie stated, stunned. "He's never frowned upon office affairs. In fact, most of the time, he's part of them." Rosalie laughed, causing Alice to giggle softly.

Yes, I knew this. One of the office tarts had already cornered me in the copy room earlier. She's been very upset that she hadn't been offered the job of Edward's personal assistant. I'd wondered at the time if he had already fucked her or if she was working her way up to that status.

Emmett had already said that there was currently no one working in the building that had fucked Edward. Apparently, Edward was quite vocal and tended to kiss and tell. If he had indeed fucked someone, Emmett was usually the first to know.

"You don't think he was jealous, do you, Rose?" Alice asked, obviously trying to understand her brother's actions.

"Nah," Alice and Rosalie said in unison, confirming my suspicions that jealousy wasn't an emotion that Edward had ever showed. If that's the case, then what the hell had been going on in his office earlier?

"Okay, girls, I'll meet you at the club around ten," I reminded them.

"Let's all go to dinner before, and we'll meet the guys at the club later," Alice offered.

"Umm, I don't know…" I looked at Alice and she was pouting, her eyes seeming so sad.

"Fine," I grumbled. "I usually try not to get too close to the family, but it's obvious that you're not going to give me a choice. Now run along, go talk to Edward before his next appointment comes in."

That wasn't true, though, I did get close to the family. Family and friends were integral to Edward's turn around. It just usually took more time than this to develop.

Rosalie and Alice gave me a wave and a wink each after we had made dinner arrangements and before closing Edward's door behind them.

I had a feeling that Alice always got her way with that damn pout.

**Edward**

After the torture I had endured watching Rosalie feel up Bella, you'd think I'd had enough. That apparently wasn't the case, and my frustration and irritation increased when Alice and Rosalie walked into my office.

"Hey, Edward," Alice said before taking a seat in a chair in front of me, "we just wanted to let you know that we're meeting you guys at the club after Rosalie and I have dinner with Bella."

"You're having dinner with Bella?" I hadn't meant it to sound like a question, but did come out that way.

"Yes, she's new in town, so we're taking her out!" Alice said, bouncing in her seat, always so damn excitable.

"Don't tell me you're taking her to the club?"

_Please say no._

"Of course we're taking her, Edward, she has no friends here," Rosalie said, confirming my fear.

"Is there a problem Edward?" Alice asked. She looked at me, those big hazel eyes widened with innocence.

"No."

"Great, we'll see you at the club!" Alice said, excitement in her voice as she pranced to the door with Rosalie behind her as they left.

_I can't picture Bella doing the club scene, but then again, it might help get under her skirt faster._

However, it could hinder it. If she refused me, then she'd see me go for another woman while she was still there. That would do nothing but confirm any rumors I was sure she would've heard by now.

No, I'd have to play it by ear tonight.

I shook off the thought as Bella knocked on the door, letting me know my next appointment was here.

"Come in," I called out.

A couple of hours later, I was going to be able to leave early. All I wanted was to go home, grab a beer and sleep for a few hours before I hit the club. I walked out of my office and walked over to Bella's desk while she worked on her computer.

"Ms. Swan, thank you for managing to get me out of the office before four today," I said, trying to sound sincere.

"It's my job, Mr. Cullen," she responded curtly, not even looking up at me.

"Well, you're doing a great job so far. Umm…" I trailed off when she cleared her throat.

"Save it, Mr. Cullen. I've heard all about you, and I don't expect or want an apology." Bella's tone was stiff.

"Maybe you shouldn't believe everything you hear, Ms. Swan," I snapped.

"Maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions," she countered.

"Maybe you should bring a jacket to the office next time."

"Maybe you should keep your eyes looking on my face instead of on my chest and legs, _Sir._"

_I hate being called Sir, it makes me feel old._

"Don't flatter yourself," I scoffed.

"Maybe I shouldn't be going with your family to dinner, since you're obviously going to fire me." Bella's voice and facial features softened.

My own voice was soothing as I responded. "I didn't say I was going to fire you, Ms. Swan."

Before I could say anything else, Bella rose from her chair, pushing it in.

"I've finished all my work for the day. Can I leave now?" Bella asked, still not meeting my eyes.

"Yes," I answered as Bella brushed passed me, her scent intoxicating my senses. "Will my family see you later tonight?" I didn't want to see her go yet.

"I'm undecided." Bella stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes soft, but guarded.

"Undecided?"

"On whether I should stay or go." With that said, she was gone.


	3. The Line

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Three—The Line**

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Betaed by Caroline Z. Masen

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**Edward**

Had she been thinking of quitting? Was I really that unbearable? Were the rumors that bad about me?

_Yes._ There was no doubt in my mind that the rumors around the office would scare someone like Bella off.

All the men and women in the office would be able to tell her something about me. The whispering gossip would make me out to be what I was – a womanizer.

Ever since college, when I'd discovered that my messy hair and body appealed to girls, I'd taken full advantage of it. I hadn't had one relationship since then that had lasted more than a few weeks. Lately, it had been one night - not that I was complaining.

It wasn't like I hadn't tried to develop feelings for them. It just seemed that, most of the time, the crap that came out of their mouths made my mind go numb.

In college, I had mostly hooked up with the women that threw themselves at me, without me having to put in any effort on my part. I'd literally showed up at a party or club, and by the time the next song played, I had my companion for the evening.

Whenever a woman sought out something more than a one night stand, I had always found some trait or habit of hers irritating. In truth, I had known for quite some time that I was just making excuses. I had no real interest in relationships whatsoever.

I didn't date – ever.

Alice had once alluded to be being lonely as the reason for my behavior. I'd laughed at her at the time; her worries had been unfounded. I had a different woman at my place at least a few times a week, and I was anything but lonely.

Lately though, I'd started to think that she had been right. What was the use of having women in and out of my apartment if none of them stayed?

I never asked any of the women to stay. It was just something that occurred to me early on; or - they didn't expect to stay. They'd leave as soon as they got what they wanted from me. Though the feeling had been mutual, I'd never understood the reasoning behind their hurried departures.

The truth was, I could be in the middle of a room with a sea of beautiful women all around me, but I still wouldn't feel complete. I was alone And I was okay with that. They got what they wanted, and I got what I wanted. It might seem like a vicious circle to some, but it was my way of coping.

I didn't have what my family had, and I'd never really wanted it.

I made my way to my apartment, replaying the events of the day. Bella was someone who was truly beautiful on the outside, and I found myself wanting to know if she was just as beautiful on the inside.

I shook the thought from my head, knowing that she and I were worlds apart. After reading her resume, I found out that she had volunteered a lot for charities, fundraising events, and in hospitals.

She was a good person – selfless.

_Someone like me will just corrupt her._

Though that thought had occurred to me, it didn't deter me from wanting to fuck her senseless. I wasn't looking for a relationship with her, and I wouldn't corrupt her if we fucked – once.

After a few hours of sleep at home and a shower, I decided to get ready. I put on button-down dark grey shirt that Alice bought me for my recent birthday and a pair of dark jeans. I shaved and tried to make my hair appear decent, but it would just flop back down. I guess I would have to settle for the "sex hair" look, as it was commonly referred to.

It was just after nine in the evening when I arrived at the club called Bloc in the heart of Seattle. I knew my family would already be there, and I hoped that so would _she_.

Thinking this way, hoping for her to be there – that was when I knew that things were starting to change.

Usually, I would have taken my time before heading to the VIP room. From time to time, I'd be stopped by someone I knew, I would dance, or have a drink. This time though, all I wanted to do was get to the room. I had to know if she was there.

I had been expecting to see Bella, however, what I didn't expect was for her to take my breath away. She was there, swaying to the music while looking at the dance floor, along with Alice and Rosalie.

Bella was wearing a backless thin-strapped, black dress that sat mid thigh, exposing her milky legs down to the black stilettos on her small feet. The sides of her hair had been pinned back, but the rest was flowing down her back with big, soft curls that shifted slightly with her movements.

My ogling was interrupted when Emmett noticed that I had arrived.

"Hey, brother, glad you could make it," Emmett said quite loudly before he thrust a beer in my hand. Jasper stood beside him, snickering, and shook his head before taking a drink from his glass.

Emmett's outburst had been heard by the trio of ladies. Alice and Rosalie turned around and greeted me, but Bella stilled for a few moments before she returned to swaying to the music. She did not turn around or verbally acknowledge me.

"Good evening, Ms. Swan." I tried to keep my voice smooth as I watched her. I had hoped for some type of interaction besides indifference.

She stopped moving and turned to look at me over her shoulder with a composed expression on her delicate features. "Bella," she said smoothly, before she turned back to look at the crowd.

I went to stand by her, expecting her to stop moving, but she didn't. The small jolt of electricity I'd felt when we'd first touched hands was in the air, crackling with energy.

Her eyes were closed as she moved to the music, her body enticing and calling to me. She was a siren in a tiny black dress, and I was the one hearing her call.

It took every ounce of control to prevent me from touching her bare shoulder and arms. She had such soft-looking skin.

"Does this mean that you aren't going to quit, Bella?" I had to ask, because the thought had been in my head all afternoon, and I wanted an answer.

"I'm not one to quit, Mr. Cullen," she answered, though she had not turned to face me. "Some of the work your company does is the reason I chose to work for it."

That statement piqued my interest. I thought she just needed a job, like most people. She made it sound like she chose our company for other reasons besides monetary stability.

She turned and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Don't look so confused, Mr. Cullen –"

"Edward," I corrected, before she continued.

"– Edward, I'm well off, so I don't need to work," she clarified. "However, your company has a lot of projects that deal with helping local charities, children's hospitals and parks. I want to be a part of that,"

"Oh," I responded. I wondered for a moment what she had meant about being well off. She was much too young to have a large enough nest egg to retire. It seemed that Bella Swan was much more of an enigma that I'd previously suspected.

_As if I needed more reasons to want her – now she was intriguing_.

Bella shook her head, not offering me any more, and looked back at the dance floor. She seemed to be lost in thought before a big smile spread on her lips, and then she turned to look at Alice and Rosalie.

"Ladies, I'm going to go dance."

Bella turned to me and excused herself before stepping out, and Alice and Rosalie followed her. I kept my eyes on her as the girls made their way through the crowded dance floor.

The three of them didn't go unnoticed, and they were either earning glares from women or indecent stares from men. They walked to the center of the dance floor and started dancing together in a loose circle. I watched Bella as she swayed, her hands moving slowly over her body and her hair.

_Fuck, I wish those were my hands. _I could just see myself pressed against her as we moved together cohesively. Her curves would fit so perfectly against me, so soft and warm, and my nose would press against her temple, inhaling her exquisite scent.

"Hey, Edward, is something wrong?" Emmett asked, as I watched Bella dance, lost in herself and the music. I shook my head and downed my beer, unable to voice my concerns.

Emmett wouldn't understand my current dilemma. In fact, I was quite sure he'd backhand me. He wouldn't want another repeat occurrence of what happened with my former PA.

"You can't act on your urge to take her, Edward," Jasper said as he stood by me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said. My voice had a little edge as I thought that no one except her would stop me from getting what I wanted.

At the moment, all I wanted was her.

"He means that you can't try to get into her pants," Emmett said, his tone accusatory. "Dad already told you that if we get another complaint against you, he'd kick you out of the CEO position."

I rolled my eyes. _Like my father would kick me out_. "I'm going to see if I can find a companion for the evening."

What I really needed was to just find the next conquest and get the fuck out of here.

I grabbed a shot of some clear liquid and headed to the bar to see if anyone would catch my eye. Unfortunately, the only thing that did was Bella and the guy with his hands on her hips.

My fists clenched at my sides, and I was ready to leave, not wanting to see her with him. I wanted my hands on her hips, not of some fucking little shit like him. I watched, glaring at them both. She looked like she was enjoying herself, pressed so close against him. I should be pressed up against her. So what the fuck was stopping me?

I started to get up from my seat at the bar when a platinum blonde with fake D cups stood in front me. "Edward, darling," she said, her nasally tone causing me to cringe.

_Ugh, Lauren_.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and just smiled politely. Lauren had been trying to get me to take her home with me since forever. _Even I_ had standards. Tonight it seemed as though she was pulling out all the stops. She was barely clad in a hot pink dress.

_Is hot pink still in?_

"Hello, Lauren," I said. My eyes swept the dance floor, and I saw that Bella was still dancing with the same man. I decided I wanted a closer look. "Would you like to dance?" I asked Lauren, whose eyes widened at the thought. I shuddered slightly.

Lauren nodded, looking a little dazed, and I walked to the middle of the dance floor.

I noticed that the rest of my family was there, too. Alice and Jasper were intertwined, moving to the music, and Emmett and Rosalie looked like they needed to get a room. Bella noticed me as I took Lauren by the hand and started dancing.

Bella gave me a smile before she returned her attention to the guy she was dancing with. She wrapped her arms around him as he looked down her dress. I tried not to look at the curve of her luscious hips as they swayed seductively. However, her movements had my eyes locked in on the sight, like a lion ready to pounce.

Bella's arms unwrapped from the man, and she turned, pressing her body against him. She caught me staring but I didn't bother to look away. Even though I knew I should stop, I couldn't. It was like her eyes had a permanent hold on me.

I found myself mimicking her movements, as if we were dancing together. Her eyes raked my body as I moved before looking back into my eyes. The fact that she did that and still looked at me told me that she was confident.

_Damn, I want her. _

I managed to keep my eyes locked with hers as I felt Lauren's arms start to touch my chest. I visibly shuddered again, and not in the good way. Bella silently laughed and smirked knowingly. She winked and turned to the man she was dancing with. He had to lean down to whisper in her ear. They both went their separate ways after that, and she walked just beside me, brushing her hand across my back and sending shivers throughout my body – in a good way.

I watched as she made her way back to the VIP room, alone. I excused myself from a disappointed Lauren, and my family gave me questioning looks as I walked back to the room Bella had just entered. I went into the room and noticed that she was talking to a strawberry blonde waitress. I internally groaned – Tanya.

"You're Edward's new secretary," Tanya sneered. "Did you hear what happened to the last one?" Before Bella could answer or Tanya give out any details for that matter, I cleared my throat. Tanya turned to look at me and gave me a small smile.

"Tanya, it's not your place to spread rumors about your boss' biggest club goers," I said, my tone firm but still smooth.

"Oh I know that, Edward. I just wanted her to know about one of the women from your past."

"When did he conquer you?" Bella asked indifferently. Tanya turned swiftly, one of her hands clenched in a fist at her side.

"I won't dignify that question with an answer," Tanya snapped.

"Yet you feel the need to give 'the new face' with the Cullen family all the gossip," Bella countered. Her face remained composed, like the discussion or the fact that Tanya was in her face was no big deal.

Tanya's face flushed, and she looked like she was ready to tear Bella a new one. Bella held her chin a little higher as I got closer, ready to step in if it got out of hand. Tanya was about to say something, but Bella stopped her.

"Save it. Have someone else serve this VIP room, or I'll go talk to David myself."

Tanya looked taken aback when Bella mentioned the name of the club owner, but she scowled before stomping away.

"How do you know David Cortez?" I asked curiously, taking a few steps further into the room.

Bella laughed and blushed slightly. "I worked for him before and dated his brother when they were in California."

"And you're on good terms with him?" I didn't mean to pry, but I was curious.

"Yes, the whole family loves me. I broke his heart, but we're all still friends." Bella shrugged as she picked up a glass with a clear liquid and sipped slowly.

"For some reason, I don't find that hard to believe," I said, taking a seat beside her on a modern blue sofa.

"I'm sorry about Tanya. She was being unreasonable."

"You can't exactly blame her, Edward. "From what I've heard at the office she has every reason to be upset. However, her anger towards me was uncalled for."

"What did you hear at the office?" I had to ask. I wanted to know what she had already found out.

"The term 'Wham bam thank you ma'am' comes to mind." Bella laughed, fanning herself with her hand.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Bella."

"Oh please, even your sister admitted that you're a man-whore, Edward. Emmett used the slogan 'Over one billion served' to describe you." Bella shrugged.

"Wait a minute. You asked my family about me?" I asked. I was secretly pleased but at the same time pissed that my own family would gossip about me.

"I told you before that I was undecided," she stated as she rose from her seat and walked to the railing. "I wanted to see if it was going to be worth sticking around."

"And what my family told you didn't cause you to run for the hills?" I asked, moving to stand beside her.

"I don't know who you are, so I can't judge you," Bella explained looking at the large crowd on the dance floor. "However, so far, they seem to be right."

"I would like a chance to prove them wrong." I had no idea what made me say that out loud, but it was too late to take it back.

"I'm sure that line worked with your last conquest, but it won't with me," she said confidently.

"We'll see," I whispered, mostly to myself.

"Come on, let's go dance," she said as she took my hand into both of hers. The sudden contact caught me by surprise as an electrical charge surged through my body. Bella stopped suddenly, and her body shivered.

"Sorry, it must be static electricity," she said softly. She pulled me out of the room toward the dance floor. I led the way now as we weaved through the crowd to somewhat in the middle of the floor.

Bella smiled as she started to move to the rhythm of the music. I stepped a little closer and followed her movements. She smirked and placed her hands on my arms, closing the gap between us. I slowly put my hands on either side of her small waist. She closed her eyes, letting the music flow through her. I watched her facial expressions as she moved her small hands up my arms then to my shoulders. She opened her eyes, and then they locked with mine. The song moved on to another as she listened to the lyrics, and then she smirked.

Bella stepped closer to me, and a smile was playing on her lips as she started to mouth the words. I loved watching her lips move, and they were just one of the beautiful features of her face.

_Future sex love sound  
Yeah._

_You know what you want  
And that makes you just like me  
See everybody says you're hot, baby  
But can you make it hot for me?  
Said if you're thinking 'bout holding back  
Don't worry, girl  
'Cause I'm gonna make it so easy  
So slide a little bit closer to me, little girl  
Daddy's on a mission to please_

Bella released her hold on my shoulders and then turned and pressed her body up against my own. I kept my hands on her waist, not wanting to overstep my welcome. I welcomed the warmth her body was emanating.

Do you like it like this?  
Do you like it like that?  
Tell me which way you like that  
Tell me which way you like that

Bella turned around to face me, wrapping both of her arms around my shoulders and pressing her chest against my own. I threw back my head and bit back a moan. Fuck me, so damn soft.

_You can't stop, baby  
You can't stop once you've turned me on_

Bella looked at me and started biting her lower lip. She looked so damn desirable, and I wanted so badly to nibble on that lip.

_And your enemy are your thoughts, baby  
So just let 'em go  
'Cause all I need is a moment alone  
To give you my tongue_

Bella's tongue swept over her bottom lip as she continued to move them to the lyrics. The urge to put my lips on hers was becoming uncontrollable, and I was sure that she knew it.

_And put you out of control  
And after you let it in  
We'll be skin to skin  
It's just so natural_

Bella turned again, and this time, she pressed her whole body against my own. She took her hands and placed them over mine, slowly guiding them lower. I reveled in the smooth curve and warmth of her hips when she came to a stop. Her hands left mine, and one of them draped over my shoulder under the material of my shirt, slightly scratching me.

_Fuck she's driving me insane. I can't take it anymore. I need her closer. _

I wrapped my arms around her waist and ground my hips against her backside. She made no motion to stop me, so I continued, and I was sure that she felt what she was doing to me. My throbbing erection confided in my pants wanted some kind of friction, and Bella's gorgeous body was the perfect place to find it.

All day, I'd had thoughts of her body moving against me playing in my mind. Now that I had her where I wanted her, I was not going to let go. I whispered the chorus into her ear.

_Do you like it like this?_

_Do you like it like that?_

_Tell me which way you like it_

_Tell me which way you like it_

Bella ground her ass right on my erection, and I couldn't help the moan that left my lips. She laughed and did it again, proving that I'd been right, she knew what she was doing to me.

If she was going to tease me, I wanted to return the favor. I slid my hands from her hips and let them glide up the curves of her body. I lightly grazed the sides of her breasts before I returned down all the way to the hem of her dress, feeling the silky skin of her thighs. She didn't stop me. In fact, she moaned lightly. Now it was my turn to laugh.

When the song came to an end, she turned around to face me again, a smirk on her plump lips. Bella stood up on her tip-toes and moved her lips to my side of my face, whispering in my ear.

"That's the only love sound you'll hear from me, Edward," she teased, then laughed at the look of disappointment that must have been evident on my face.

"Come on, I need a drink," I said, before joining in her laughter. I took her hand and led her back to the VIP room.

Alice and Rosalie were dancing on top of a table, swaying to the music. Alice spotted us and waved Bella over.

"Bella, come dance with us," Alice encouraged, but Bella shook her head and walked over to Emmett.

"Give me a shot please," Bella told Emmett, who had a bottle of tequila and shot glasses in front of him. He poured one and handed it to Bella. She shook a little salt on her wrist and looked right at me as she slowly licked it off with her tongue before taking the shot.

_Fuck, that's hot._

Emmett laughed at Bella's scrunched up face and handed her a lemon, which she took and sucked on before throwing it in the trash.

"Okay, now I'm ready," Bella claimed, joining Alice and Rosalie. I shook my head, still reeling from my dance with Bella, and took a seat by Emmett, taking a shot myself. I watched as the girls swayed and bumped to the music. The three of them threw their heads back in laughter when they realized that there was very little room on the table.

Bella climbed down and took a seat beside Jasper. Alice and Rosalie asked her to come back, but she said no.

"Sorry, ladies, but I'm not risking falling off the table in these heels."

"So, Bella, tell us little about you," Jasper said, watching Alice dance on the table.

"Not much to tell. I'm new to Seattle. I was born and raised in a tiny town hours from here. I left for the sun when I was old enough and moved to California to attend college. I moved back to Forks when my parents died, but I felt that it was too small of a town, so I moved here."

"Sorry about your parents, Bella," Emmett said, just before he took another shot. "Where did you go to school?"

"I went to Stanford, and I have a Masters in English Literature and a Bachelors' in Business," Bella said as a waitress leaned in and asked her if she'd like anything. She motioned for her to come closer and whispered something to her. The waitress smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," Bella told her, and the waitress left.

"What the hell are you doing working as a secretary for Cullen & Cullen Co.?" Jasper asked Bella, watching her with curious eyes.

"Actually, like I told Edward before, I like some of the charity work the company does, and I wanted to be a part of that, even if it's not much." Bella shrugged her shoulders and rose from her seat, looking at the dance floor.

"Bella, it looks like that doctor you were with earlier is back," Alice said prancing over to Bella. "What's his name again? He looks like he's looking for someone, maybe you."

"Mike. He looks drunk though," Bella complained.

"So what?" Rosalie said putting her two cents in. "He's a doctor –go for it." I clenched my fists, hoping Bella wouldn't go back to that asshole.

"Fine I'll go, but first, Emmett, I need another one." Bella said, walking over to him. She took the seat in between Emmett and me, scooting in the tight space. Her dress rode up a little, which did not go unnoticed by me. Bella took another shot, shuddering slightly, and her eyes were squeezed shut as she took the lemon.

"Okay, if I don't come back, I'll see everybody later, and thanks for the drinks," Bella said, looking at each of us. "Thanks for a great time and dinner, ladies. Edward, thanks for the dance." She turned and left.

I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to get up and walk after her. She wasn't mine to claim. She wasn't mine to watch out for. She could take care of herself.

"Edward, what's wrong with you?" Alice asked, taking Bella's seat.

"Nothing," I grumbled.

"If you're that worried about her, just watch her. She's a good person for you, Edward, but I don't want her to get hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt her."

"Not intentionally, but you will," Alice whispered. "You always hurt them." The others were talking amongst themselves, allowing us a bit of privacy.

"Am I really that bad?" I asked, looking for an answer I didn't really want.

"You tell me," Alice said, cocking her eyebrow in question.

I shrugged my shoulders before rising from my seat and walking out of the room, after bidding everyone goodnight. I went to the men's room, and I stopped for a moment while washing my hands. I realized the man that Bella had been with earlier was talking with another man.

"Yeah, she's fucking gorgeous, did you see those legs?" Mike gloated. "Not to mention her lips. I can just imagine them around my fucking cock."

"Lucky bastard. I take it she's going home with you."

"I think so. Just in case, I'll buy her a couple more drinks to seal the deal."

"Good luck, man."

"Yeah, thanks," Mike said, and the other man left while Mike washed his hands. He ran his hands through his hair and looked in the mirror before leaving.

I finished quickly and headed to the bar. At the other end of it, I saw Mike leaning in, asking the bartender for drinks. I scanned the room, realizing that Bella must be alone.

She was in the middle of the room, dancing on her own. There were a few men watching her as she swayed to the music with her eyes closed. One man approached her from behind and put his hands on her hips. She stopped quickly, turned around and shook her head, taking several steps away before she started to dance again. I took a shot, ready to go after her again, but then I noticed another man try the same thing. She turned him away, too.

Then the line started forming. After the fifth one, I noticed that Mike was distracted talking to someone with short brown hair.

I walked over to Bella, placed my hands on her hips and whispered in her ear.

"May I have another dance?" I asked, my voice low and husky. She answered me by pressing her body closer to mine. I was all for another round of teasing, but it didn't last long. Mike decided to approach us with drinks in his hands.

"Hey, Bella, I got our drinks."

"She's busy dancing with me, Mike," I growled and pulled her closer. Mike took a step back and left, turning back to the brunette he'd been talking with previously.

"What the hell was that?" Bella stopped dancing and looked at me.

"You're not leaving with him. I heard him gloating in the men's room about taking you home."

"Did you even care to think that's something I may have wanted?"

"He's drunk, he could hurt you, and you don't even know him."

"He's a doctor, and I wanted to go with him," she argued.

"You're not leaving with him," I repeated, my voice firm.

"What's it to you anyway?" She looked at me, confused.

I didn't know how to respond. My face softened as I looked into her confused brown eyes.

"I don't know."

I had to get out of there. I turned on my heels and left without a woman on my arm or a new number. I had to leave because if I didn't, I might have done something I would later regret.

Bella Swan was going to be the death of me.

**Bella**

I watched Edward walk out the door and into the cool evening Seattle air.

"Wow, I have never seen him leave without someone," Alice said in awe beside me.

"That was incredible," Rosalie said.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Jasper said, standing beside Alice. "He looked like his cat died."

"What does this mean?" Emmett asked, slightly confused.

"This means that he's confused," I answered thoughtfully. "He wants more from me, and that's something he doesn't care to admit. He also seems a little scared that he'll hurt me."

My head tried to decipher everything that had happened up to this point. "In other words, he's questioning who he is and what he wants."

Mike, Tyler and Jessica made their way towards me, bringing a smile to my face.

"So, how did we do?" Mike asked, his arm around his fiancée Jessica.

"Perfect. He heard the whole conversation between you and Tyler." I smiled at my past subject and two of my former clients.

"Whatever we can do to help you. We owe you a lot." Jessica quickly wrapped her arms around me in gratitude.

Tyler and Jessica were Mike's best friends and had hired me a little over a year ago to break Mike's heart. I'd also made him realize what was under his nose – Jessica. Now they were together, happy, and getting married in a month.

"I'm just glad things worked out, and I might need you again later, Mike. So in exchange for your help, I promised two plane tickets to Hawaii." I handed them the tickets from my purse.

"So, who else do you have to help you with this guy anyway?" Tyler asked, looking at the rest of Edward's family.

"Some of Edward's family is helping, and my secret weapon – Jacob Black."

"Do you mean Jacob Black, as in partner of Black & Uley Co., and Edward's number one enemy?" Emmett asked me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, that's him. He's a former subject, and he owes me. I introduced him to his girlfriend and future wife Nessie."

"How is Jacob Black going to help you?" Alice asked warily.

"Oh, you'll see," I stated simply.

Shortly afterward, I made my way toward the club's office. I knocked on the door lightly, waiting. I straightened my dress and quickly fluffed out my hair. The door swung open, and I was immediately pulled in, a large body wrapping around me.

I gasped, trying to wiggle out of the bear hug. "David, I need to breathe."

He quickly released me and looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry, Bells," he said, his intense hazel eyes boring into my own. "What brings you by?"

I sighed and motioned toward the small blue couch. We sat down, and I explained to him about my new subject. He wasn't too happy about it, because he'd had hoped that I would stop doing this long enough for me to find love. He wanted me to find the love that I helped his brother Julian find.

"Who is the poor bastard?"

"Edward Cullen," I said, watching to see his reaction to him.

He whistled and shook his head in disbelief. "Bells, you have your work cut out for you with Edward."

I nodded, and I knew I had to bring something up. I couldn't give a good enough reason, but I had to try. "David, I need a favor."

"Anything."

"I need you to make sure Tanya never serves the Cullens again."

"Why? You're not jealous of her and Edward, are you?"

I shook my head – it was just a tiny white lie.

"I can't tell you everything, but I mainly don't trust her."

"Consider it done, then."

**Edward**

How could one woman have me questioning my life? This was crazy. Bella was like any other woman.

_Who am I kidding? She's not like any other woman_.

If she was, I wouldn't have thought twice about her. I paid the cab driver and made my way up to my apartment on the eleventh floor of the building I lived in.

I changed quickly and settled in bed. My thoughts swirled around Bella and the way it felt to touch her. Her skin had been so soft and warm and her hands had left a tingling sensation wherever she had touched me. I drifted off to sleep, knowing that my dreams would be filled with images of her –and I welcomed them.

**

* * *

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AN: Song lyrics is from Future/Sex Sound by Justin Timberlake


	4. The Gym

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Four - Gym**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen

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**Edward**

I hadn't gone anywhere Saturday, and just watched TV or listened to music. Alice had called and asked if I was coming to the club tonight, but I had told her no, that I needed a break. She laughed, wondering if my equipment was still functioning.

The truth was I had been scared that _she_ would be there. I hadn't slept well yesterday, after leaving the club. My dreams and thoughts were jumbled in my head with Bella as the star.

I think the reason I couldn't stop thinking about her was because she was unattainable. That simple fact made her irresistible, well that and her tight little body. You'd have to be blind not to appreciate all those curves.

I had to find a way to get her out of my system. Once I got her out of my system, I wouldn't give her a second thought. I was sure of that.

Project Seducing Bella Swan was now in effect.

**Bella**

Alice had called and said that Edward decided not to go to the club Saturday night. She had said that it was a first in almost two years. I played it off that maybe he wasn't feeling well, but she had her doubts. I didn't tell her that I had some, too. I sat at home Saturday just watching old movies, my thoughts filled with Edward.

I had decided I needed to head to the gym on Sunday, since my move to my new apartment caused me to miss a couple of weeks. As I walked down the street to the local gym, I thought about all that had happened since I took Edward Cullen's case.

The look on his face when he left the club Friday night looked like pain or doubt or – dare I say – vulnerability. There was no way that I could have possibly broken through to him so soon. It wasn't possible with someone like him and with his track record.

In the six years and nine subjects that I have had so far, the pursuit lasted weeks, sometimes months, before they caved and gave in to their feelings.

In that time, I learned that none of them really fell in love with me. They fell in love with the idea of me, with who I had become for them. That's why it was so easy to point them to the right person. All nine subjects found their partners, and I was happy to be a part of that.

It was the least I could do to make sure that something like what happened to Brianna and Jordan never happened to anyone else.

However, Edward was different. We had things in common, and I was physically attracted to him, much more than to anyone before. His touch had heat rolling through me, and I craved for more. That's why I hadn't been able to take my eyes off of him at the club. The way he had looked at me… it was like I was the only one in the room. His scent was truly intoxicating, his voice sensual. This was uncharted territory for me.

_Fuck! I want Edward Cullen in every way. _

_I'm in way over my head. _

**Edward**

I decided to go to the gym down the street, having skipped going after work Friday. I had to make up for it today. I threw on a pair of basketball shorts and a muscle shirt before heading out with my gym bag into the cool Seattle air. I walked through the front doors, automatically walking to my favorite treadmill that stood in front of the wall of mirrors.

I set my bag down beside me, set the pace and incline and started my standard routine. Then I looked up and groaned. I couldn't help myself.

There in the reflection of the mirror was Bella on a treadmill in a black sports bra and blue barely-there shorts. Her long hair was pulled in a pony tail, exposing the smooth skin of her neck. I groaned again as her skin glistened with a slick sheen of sweat.

_Get over there idiot! Now is a good chance to put the plan into action._

I stopped my machine and slid onto the one next to Bella. She hadn't notice me since she was watching something on an iPod. But now that I was here, I wanted her to notice me. I set the treadmill and re-started my routine. I glanced over at her, but she still hadn't looked up.

"Bella," I stated like a question. She turned to look at me, and her brown doe like eyes widened in surprise. She looked around, closed her eyes for a moment, and smiled.

"Hey Edward," she said in slight confusion. "Do you live nearby?"

"A few buildings down the street. Why?" I asked, choosing to look at her reflection, hoping she wouldn't catch me staring again.

"Well you'd have to be living nearby to be coming to this gym since its half-way across the city from where you work." Bella shrugged her shoulders. She picked up her iPod and turned down the sound to the video she was watching.

"Do you?" I asked, wondering for a moment how she could afford a place anywhere near here. This area was one of the most expensive in the city of Seattle; it was why I had chosen it a couple of years ago.

"Don't be surprised. I told you I was well off," Bella huffed in annoyance. "I live a couple of buildings down the street."

I was about to ask if she lived close to where I lived when I was interrupted by a soft jingle from her cell phone. She smiled at me and mouthed "excuse me" before answering the call. I listened to the one-sided conversation, curious.

"Oh, hello. I was going to call you," she said. "You can't make it? That's fine. No… it's okay." She smiled at me, giving me a flirtatious wink. "I'll just have to find another sparring partner." I returned her wink with one of my famous smiles. "Yeah, you better make it up to me. Talk to you later."

Bella hung up and returned her attention to me. I noticed that she didn't slow down the whole time she was on the phone. I also noticed that she and I were about at the same level of speed and incline, so I increased the intensity of mine. I knew it was childish, but hey, I'm the guy, I was supposed to be stronger.

"Sorry about that. I had a friend meeting me here to spar with, but she had to cancel." Bella shook her head and increased her speed slightly.

"Spar?" I was curious. What could this little delicate woman possibly do?

"Tae-kwon-do and jujitsu," she answered with a shrug.

_She's got to be fucking with me._

"I'm not that soft, Edward," Bella said, giving me a glare at the look of shock on my face. "I routinely practice martial arts."

"I do, too." I answered, still not believing that she practiced it.

"Really?" Bella asked her eyes alive with excitement. "Interested in a little sparring?"

_How can I say no to that?_ But I decided to play with her for a bit. "I don't know Bella, I'm pretty big and you're … um, tiny."

She glared at me, the skin of her neck and cheeks flushed with anger.

_That's my girl. I love that blush. _

_Damn she's hot when she's angry._

She quickly composed herself, stepping off of her machine. She gathered her towel and water bottle, clearly annoyed. "Suit yourself, Cullen. I'll be in room four if you change your mind," she said, her hips swaying seductively as she walked away from me.

I was going to make her wait. If I ran in right behind her, she would think that I was desperate.

I managed to wait for all of sixty seconds before I ran after her.

_So much for making her wait._

The door to room four was slightly open, and I walked in cautiously, hoping to get a view of Bella's tight little ass. The room she had chosen was usually used for aerobics and had a wall of mirrors along one side.

She was in front of the mirror, doing a routine of blocking techniques ending back into a normal stance. Her routine ended with a series of kicks, including a strong axe kick.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch or are you going to join me?" Bella teased, locking eyes with me in the mirror. I smirked and walked over to her, not even bothering to stop ogling her lovely ass.

"If I hurt you, you need to tell me so I can back off." I said, concerned due to the fact that I had at least a foot in height and sixty pounds over her in comparison.

Bella rolled her eyes, muttering a curse under her breath. "If it makes you feel any better, how about if instead of full punches and kicks, we just use open hand slaps and light punches."

I nodded in agreement, hell, right now I'd agree to just about anything. Even though I was listening to every word coming from her, I couldn't help but notice our reflection in the mirrors. Fucking in this room would be unforgettable. _Yes, I'll have you, Bella, in this room soon._

After I shook the imagery of watching us in the mirrors, we pulled out the mats used for sparring and placed them near them.

We faced each other, both in a normal stance, and bowed slightly before getting into a proper position. We danced around each other for a few moments, sizing one another up. Bella made the first punch and managed to land it on my chest. I followed suit and was met with a middle block. She took two strikes that I blocked with a low and high block.

"So, did you enjoy Friday night?" I asked Bella, wondering if she left with the doctor. I hoped she hadn't.

"Yes, it was a fun night and your family was really great," Bella said with a smile before slapping my right bicep. The sound of our skin slapping against each other was making me have some very dirty thoughts.

I threw a right hand punch toward her chest to see if she would block it and was met with a middle block. Then I quickly threw a left hand punch and lightly brushed her right breast. Bella continued like it was no big deal so I continued my assault by slapping the skin of her thigh_. God, I was rock fucking solid just from hearing that sound._

"I'm sorry I went off on you when you scared the doctor away," she said as she blocked two of my advances to the chest.

"You don't have to apologize," I countered. "It wasn't my place." It really wasn't my place, but I seriously hadn't wanted to see her leave with that prick. I have no idea why; maybe some strange instinct to protect her?

Bella surprised me as she landed three shots in quick succession. _Damn she's good._

"I do have to apologize. His fiancée showed up a few minutes after you left." Bella shrugged. I used the moment of distraction to land two light slaps to each breast. She shook her head and looked like she was trying not to laugh. She smirked, cocking an eyebrow in question, so I just shrugged in mock innocence.

We sparred like this for several minutes before Bella decided to add kicking. She landed a side kick lightly on my chest and I stumbled back not expecting it. I cocked an eyebrow at her and she smirked motioning with her fingers to "bring it on." After that, our sparring intensified. We were both slick with sweat after thirty minutes. I landed a light front kick to her abdomen, but she doubled over groaning.

Panicking, I went to stand beside her, my hands massaging where I hit her, trying to do anything to help. "Bella did I hurt you? I'm so sorry." Then I felt her feet lock on my right ankle, her left hand making contact with my chest causing me to tumble backwards on the mat and land on my back.

Bella was laughing with a smug look on her face. "Ha, I fooled bad boy Cullen and got him on his back," she sang doing a little victory dance near my feet with her eyes closed

I glared at her, which went unnoticed.

_Oh, I'm not taking this lying down, Swan._

I locked my legs around her feet, causing her to fall forward. I caught her and rolled. My knees were on either side of her abdomen. I was careful not to put my full weight against her tiny body, but enough so she wouldn't escape. I placed my hands on her shoulders in a mount position.

"You don't play fair Bella." I smiled, earning a glare from her. Then she smirked as she locked her left foot over my right ankle and her hands took hold of my right arm. She raised her hips and pushed with all her strength, rolling me over so she was mounting me.

_Fuck me. _

Her ass was on my abdomen and her legs wrapped around mine in a "grapevine technique", causing them to bend at the knees and spread open and lock in place. Bella pressed her upper body against my chest; her arms draped over my shoulders and her hands flat on the mat on either side of my head.

Both of our breathing was heavy and coming in gasps, her chest heaving against my own.

_Fuck! She is going to notice my obvious arousal. _

This was the only time I ever sparred with someone I was attracted to, and it was starting to feel like foreplay. I could get used to this.

Neither of us said anything. Our breathing was still ragged, our eyes locked. After several moments, Bella snapped out of the daze we were both in and untangled her legs from mine. She sat up on my abdomen, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She cocked an eyebrow and wiggled her hips slightly. I bit back a hiss. She dismounted and gave me a wink before grabbing her things.

"That was a good workout, Edward. We should do that again." She offered her hand to me, and I took it, resisting the urge to pull her on top of me again. _Soon,_ I reminded myself. I got up from the mat and shifted slightly.

"I agree, Bella. I usually work out everyday after work." I said, hoping she'd join me again. Fucking in front of these mirrors would happen in no time.

"I'll keep that in mind. Well, I'll see you tomorrow." Bella smiled before turning and walking out the door. My eyes were on her ass, as usual. God, she had a great ass.

Fuck, how the hell am I going to survive tomorrow?

I was running thirty-two minutes late as I hit the top floor button in the elevator. I knew that I had a full schedule and a lunch meeting, and I was dreading it all. I didn't sleep very well last night. The thought of my last encounter with Bella left me with some very dirty fantasies of our next sparring session and pitching a tent every time I thought about it.

_Fuck this was not the time to be thinking about that. _I had to adjust myself – again. At this rate, I'd probably have a permanent hard on in her presence. _The better to fuck her with_, I mused.

I stepped out of the elevator, not expecting to see Bella standing there waiting for me with a cup of coffee. My first thought when I saw her was for me to pull her into the elevator and fuck her senseless. Of course these kinds of thoughts were not helping with the situation down under. I was going to have to resort to jacking off in my bathroom before my balls got any bluer.

"You're late," she lightly scolded, her nose scrunching up sweetly. "Here's your coffee; black, two sugars." She handed me my coffee as I stepped off the elevator.

"Thanks." I took a sip, my eyes appraising her red v-neck sweater and black skirt with her hair up in another sexy messy bun.

"Are you done?" she asked with an amused smirk before standing by my side and gesturing for me to continue walking.

_She fucking called me out on my ogling. Fuck._

I started walking down the hall toward our offices.

"Okay," she started and then took a big breath. "You have a full schedule today, but luckily your lunch meeting with Phil Knight was postponed until next week." Bella smiled, keeping pace with me. "Your first appointment is in ten minutes which you have scheduled to last for thirty. I've left on your desk and computer all the necessary files for it."

"Sounds good. I need you to transcribe again," I said, taking another sip of coffee. I looked over at Bella as we made it to her office area.

"I'll be there," she said and smiled before taking a seat at her desk, looking at her computer. I took one last lingering look at her before going into my office.

With my first appointment, Bella escorted Mr. and Mrs. Weatherby to some chairs. Before taking a seat beside me, she went to adjust the thermostat. I cocked an eyebrow in question at her.

Bella pulled up a chair beside me and whispered in my ear, "Just so we don't have any problems again." She winked before opening her laptop.

_Damn did she have to remind me of that? Wait. Is she flirting with me?_

For the next thirty minutes, while discussing changes to plans for my client's new home, I kept glancing over to Bella. I'd catch her staring at me, but she'd turn away quickly and blush. I really liked to see her skin flush that delicious color of pink.

_She __**is**__ flirting and this is going to be too easy._

Bella escorted the clients out and I asked her to take a seat. Her eyes widened and she nodded before taking a chair in front of my desk.

"Bella, I wanted to see if you'd like to join me for lunch today," I asked looking at her under my lashes in an attempt to dazzle her. _Dazzle? Cullen, clearly you have joined where there are rainbows and flowers – otherwise known as the dark side._

"Sure. You were scheduled for a two hour lunch with Mr. Knight starting at eleven-thirty."

"Eleven thirty it is," I confirmed with a smile.

"After lunch you have that big presentation with your father and the City of Seattle officials. I was going over some notes that your previous secretary left, but I have not been able to locate any files. I asked Margaret, your father's secretary, and she said that she didn't have them either."

"I'll send you all files I have pertaining to that project. I also need you to make the presentation reports for twenty by then?" I stated like a question knowing that she was barely going to have time to copy and pull them together in time.

"That's fine. The new, faster copier just came in, and I was itching to use it. Just send me the files and I will get started on that." Bella stated, and then bit her lip in concentration. "Now I won't be able to sit in the rest of your morning appointments. I'll leave a digital recorder to record the conversations and I will transcribe them later."

"That sounds great, Bella." I was in awe of her. She did not show any doubt that she'd have the large task completed in time.

"Okay, your next appointment is in twenty minutes. Did you need a refill on your coffee?" she asked while uncrossing her legs giving me a peek of the white panties she was wearing before getting up from the chair.

_Great. I'm not going to get that image out of my head._

"Edward?" Bella pulled me out of my revere. I shook my head slightly before looking into her eyes again. "Did you need a refill of your coffee?"

"That's all right, Bella. Your morning is full enough. I'll grab another one before I head to Emmett's office." She nodded, giving me a breathtaking smile and left.

I gathered my thoughts and had to adjust myself again, remembering her white panties. I sent all my computer files pertaining to the city project to her. I left my office several minutes later and noticed that she was not at her desk. I headed to the employee lounge to grab another cup of coffee.

I opened the door to the lounge and Bella was at the coffee maker, her back to me with James standing just behind her. My fists clenched as I heard him talk to her.

"Bella, come on, let me take you out for lunch," James said insistently.

"I have lunch plans, James," Bella said, not looking at him. He pressed himself closer to her, his arms resting on either side of her body on the counter. She tried to move but James didn't let her.

"Back off James," Bella said her voice tense. I knew she could easily defend herself, but she seemed the type that wouldn't resort to violence unless it was necessary.

"Yes, back off James," I repeated walking toward them. James stood up, removing his arms from around Bella and took several steps back, glaring at me. She gave him a lethal glare and turned on her heel to leave.

"If you need anything, Edward, I'll be in the copy room," she said her voice a little shaken. I nodded in response, my eyes still locked with James as I listened to her leave.

"I told you to stay away from her, James," I said, my voice full of venom.

"I see you haven't gotten under her skirt either. Well, it's only a matter of time before she gives in to my advances. It would be nice to beat you to it."

"This isn't some kind of sick competition, James," I snarled, taking a few more steps toward him.

"Since when?" he retorted.

My jaw clenched as I refilled my cup with coffee. "Stay the fuck away from her, James."

James laughed for a moment, shaking his head before leaving.

Normally I would've been up for a game with James, but Bella didn't deserve that. Not that trying to seduce her into my bed was any better.

_I'm so going to hell for this. _

I decided to head over to Emmett's office for a quick hello when the copy room's door caught my eye. I leaned against the door frame, watching Bella stand by the copier. Her back was to me as she shifted from one leg to the other. Her legs were incredible, a beautiful creamy color and toned.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked with a soft laugh.

_Fuck it, be honest. Women eat that shit up. _

"Yes," I stated matter-of-factly.

Instead of responding, she "accidentally" dropped a paper on the ground beside her and bent over to pick it up. Her skirt hitched up and barely covered her fucking beautiful ass.

I couldn't stop my groan. I heard a soft laugh as Bella got up and turned to look at me.

_She is __**so**__ fucking with me. And I love it._

Bella's eyes raked from my face and down my body as she licked her lips. I bit back another groan.

_What the hell is this woman doing to me?_

"So am I," she said with a wink before returning her attention to the copier.

I strode over to her and whispered in her ear, her breathing labored. "I really enjoyed sparring yesterday."

"Oh, I know you did, Edward," she teased.

_No question, she noticed my body's reaction to her._

"Any chance we'll get to that again today." I pressed my body a little closer to hers.

"Yes, but now your next appointment is in less than five minutes. See you later, champ." Bella purred, taking a small step back toward me – closer.

"Hmm, I look forward to it," I whispered in her ear, taking in the scent of her neck. I was near to losing my self control and stepped away in the direction of the door.

"So do I."


	5. Lunch, an Enemy & Round Two

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Five – Lunch, an Enemy & Round Two**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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Bella**

I heard him leave the room and exhaled. I was exhausted from just one morning of trying to control the urge to fucking just jump him already. I was in trouble, because he was good, too good. Now it was obvious that he was playing games with me. It was a good thing I could easily see his tells. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Alice's number.

"Alice, hi," I said, grabbing an armful of papers.

"Hey Bella, what's up?" Her tone was jubilant, and I wondered what the hell she was taking or how much coffee she drinks in the morning.

I double-checked that I was alone and closed the door to the copier room. "When your brother is trying to seduce someone from the office, how does he usually do it?"

"Oh no, why?"

"I think he's playing games with me," I grumbled like a petulant child.

"Well, first there's a lunch date," she said, causing me to groan internally. I knew it was too good to be true. "Then there's lots of flirting and at last a drink at the club. By the end of the night, he's taking her back to his place."

"How does he treat them afterwards, the ones from the office?"

"Usually just the silent treatment or it goes back to being professional. Most of the women leave, not being able to handle it."

"Damn, he is playing me."

"What are you going to do?" she asked concerned.

"Play along for now," I whispered, lost in thought of the day's activities.

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming on?" Alice asked warily.

"_But _I feel like I'm playing with fire."

"You can handle it, Bella. Just remember why you're doing this, and that will help with your determination."

"You're right," I said, toeing the carpeting with my foot, sudden unwanted images flooding my mind.

"Why are you doing this Bella?" Alice asked in a faint whisper.

"I don't want you to lose your brother," I said uncomfortably. "Let's leave it at that."

"Bella, I think we need to talk about this," she insisted.

"I haven't told anyone besides family, and I don't plan to."

"Bella you need a girlfriend to talk about these things." Alice paused before continuing. "Why don't you come to the club tonight? It's Margarita Monday." I argued with her for a few minutes, but it was a futile.

"Fine," I grumbled defeated.

"Great, I'll see you later." With that said, she hung up.

_Stubborn pixie._

**Edward**

It took all my will power to walk out of that copier room. I wanted her bad, but I knew it was only a matter of time. The longer I played this game with her, the harder it would be for her to resist. My meeting was in a few minutes so I decided to make my way back to the office. I could stop and see Emmett later.

I sat at my desk for a little while before there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I stated as Bella led my clients inside. I stood up and greeted Mr. and Mrs. Wood. Bella walked behind me, placing a small recorder on my desk.

"I already asked if it was all right for the meeting to be recorded and transcribed, and they agreed. Talk as you normally do and it will record everything." Bella indicated before pressing the record button.

"Thank you, Bella."

"Anytime," Bella whispered, brushing her hand across my back before leaving. I shivered slightly, her touch sending a flame of lust through me.

_She is so flirting with me._

The rest of the morning dragged on. I hadn't seen or heard from Bella since my meeting with the Woods. I stepped out of my office to grab a bottle of water and pay a visit to my big brother. Bella was at her desk with a stack of reports and putting a small pile of papers in a black covers.

"All done," Bella said smiling at me. She looked adorable when she accomplished something. "With twenty minutes to spare."

"Great, maybe we can head out to lunch early."

"Sounds good to me," Bella said, her smile widening.

_Too easy._

"Let me talk to my brother first, and we'll head out when I'm done."

"I'll be here."

I walked down the hall to the lounge and grabbed a bottle of water before heading to Emmett's office. I knocked on his door, and he told me to enter.

"Hey brother! What's up?" Emmett asked, looking up from a set of blueprints.

Emmett was the head of the construction division. We not only planned, we built, too. Emmett was perfect for the job with his background and had a great business sense.

"Nothing. Can't I come over for a visit?"

"Edward, I only see you at two places; the club or in the john here. Never in my office." Emmett shrugged his shoulders.

_Really?_

"I wanted to see what you're doing later tonight?" I asked. Had I never visited his office? I looked around the office, noticing pictures of Rosalie in various places that included his desk and shelves. His office was warm and comfortable, very different from my own. I knew my mother had decorated his, while I had opted to make my office my own. I couldn't remember a time I'd visited this office or Carlisle's for that matter. If I needed a word I'd call, send an email or ask for them to come to my office.

"The girls want to head to the club for Margarita Monday. Jasper and I are going just to keep an eye on scum trying to get it on with them." His face became tense, a look he'd always wore when Rosalie was ogled rudely.

"Sounds like fun. Mind if I come along?"

"No, I guess," he said with a shrug. "How's Bella working out?"

"Perfect, great," I said with a smile. "She's everything I like in a personal assistant." I sighed slightly. It did not go unnoticed by Emmett.

"Sure she is. It helps that she's easy on the eyes."

"It's not like that, Emmett," I quickly offered.

"Sure Eddie." I grimaced, I really hated it when he called me that. "Keep trying to convince yourself." I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Want to head to lunch?" Emmett asked, glancing at the set of blueprints and writing something on it.

"I already have plans," I said quickly, hoping to avoid the next possible question.

"Lunch meeting? That sucks."

"Something like that."

"What does that mean, Edward?" Emmett looked at me from his blueprints. Then he started laughing. "You're taking her out to lunch, aren't you?"

"Um, I better go. See you later at the club." I left with Emmett's laughter still ringing in my ear.

I made my way to Bella's office when I noticed that she was talking to someone.

"Carlisle?"

"Hello Edward," he said calmly. "I was just talking to your new personal assistant. I think there are a few issues that I need to discuss with her and you, for that matter. Do you mind if we step into your office?"

"Not at all," I said. We followed my father into my office. Carlisle took a seat behind my desk as Bella and I sat in two chairs in front of it.

"Bella, your background check came in this morning. There were a few surprises that I would like to discuss." I looked over to Bella, curious as to what could have possibly been on that report.

"This doesn't have anything do with my arrest, does it?" Bella chuckled darkly. I gaped, she had been arrested?

"No, the report explains that you assaulted that man in self-defense and all charges were dropped," Carlisle laughed a little. "Though I'm a little curious as to how you were able to break the nose of someone almost a foot-a-half taller than you?"

"Jujitsu," Bella said, shrugging her shoulders and blushing.

"Bella, this has to go with your school background. We knew that you have a Masters and a Bachelor degree, but you failed to tell us that you hold a Doctorate in Psychology."

I gaped at Bella as she bit her lower lip nervously. "Yes, I do. I chose not to mention it because it doesn't have anything to do with what I do here."

"You have two businesses. Can you tell me about that?"

"Yes," she said. "I have two different consultant-type businesses. One is where I give lectures and ideas to help large corporations help their employees with stress at work. The other is…" Bella sighed her, breathing slightly heavier. "I consult couples and individuals in relationships and sex therapy." She fidgeted with her hands and blushed, averting her eyes from Carlisle. She glanced in my direction, but looked away quickly, blushing again.

_What the hell?_

Carlisle laughed humorously. "Well Bella, you definitely have a diverse background." He looked over a folder he held in his hand. "It says here that you tried to get an approval and funding for a battered women's and children's shelter here in Seattle last year."

"Yes, sir. I worked on the proposal for two shelters in the greater Seattle area. We only have two in this city which are always full to capacity, and they have had to turn women and children away for the past several months."

"Can you tell me a little more about your proposal?"

"I currently have one million dollars and am looking for an additional two-point-six million in funding. I have plans that have been already approved by the city that Black and Uley Co. did for me free of charge," Bella bit her lip in concentration and continued.

She'd worked with the company that we usually competed with. This was an interesting development.

"I have both locations already bought and paid for. All I need is further funding to start construction. I also need the plans to be updated since there have been some new building code laws." Bella smiled with excitement reaching her eyes.

_She is selfless and good. Shit, I'm an asshole._

"Well, you seem to have a lot of your bases covered. If you can get permission from Black and Uley Co. for us to alter their plans, we'd be happy to help," Carlisle expressed clearly in awe of the woman in front of him.

_Hell, I'm in awe of her. She'd give Esme a run for her money._

"That would be great, Mr. Cullen," Bella expressed with an infectious smile.

"Edward, take a look at the plans once Bella gets approval, and both of you can work on the proposal for a meeting in two weeks."

I had never dealt with any of the charity aspects of our business. I left that to my father and my mother Esme.

"I have no problem with that, but Black might." I shrugged. Jacob Black had already managed to take several of our clients when he left our firm five years ago, and he did not leave on good terms.

"Don't worry about Jacob," Bella indicated, not meeting my eyes. "I mean Mr. Black. I can handle him."

Oh, now she's on a first name basis with Black. I bit back a growl, my hands in tight fists on my lap.

"Well then, just set up something with Margaret, and the three of us and my wife Esme can discuss your proposal." Carlisle smiled at Bella, who returned it and nodded.

"Edward, do you mind if I have a word with Bella alone for a few minutes?" I looked over to Bella, whose eyes were wide and her skin had gone pale.

"Sure. I'll be right outside." I gave my father a questioning gaze, but he just shook his head slightly.

I left my office with more questions than answers about Bella.

_Who the hell was this woman?_

**Bella**

"Now, Bella there is no need to look like a deer caught in headlights." Carlisle chuckled.

I just nodded. I had no idea if his family disclosed what I was doing for them.

"Alice told me the real reason why you are working for Edward last night."

"Sir, if this is bothering you, I can leave and not look back."

"No, I think you'll be good for my son. That's why I called the both of you into the office. I wanted him to see just how smart you are," Carlisle explained, his eyes saddened slightly while discussing his adoptive son. "I've already noticed a change in him, which is why I called Alice about Edward."

"A change? How so, sir?"

"Bella, please call me Carlisle." I nodded, waiting patiently for any information pertaining to Edward.

"Well, my wife usually calls Edward every Saturday to check up on him. The call is usually rushed, and he answers questions in one or two words. However, this past Saturday, my son actually called us, and spent over an hour talking with his mother and me. He even made dinner plans with us for Wednesday. We haven't had dinner with our son in over two years, Bella, except for rushed birthday dinners and holidays."

"I don't think that has anything to do with me," I mumbled, a little shocked that Edward seemed so uncaring before. Surely he didn't ignore his family completely? It was as if he was a stranger to his own family.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I have a personal question to ask you, and please feel free not to answer if you feel uncomfortable." I nodded.

"Why do you do this?"

It was the one question that I have been asked more times than I could count. I had only told my story to Jacob, and only because of my cousin Nessie and his father's friendship with my father. I felt at least one of the Cullen family members needed to know why. I felt that Carlisle would respect my need to keep this between us for a while longer. There was another member of the family that knew a little of my past, but he hadn't recognized me yet.

"I have an older brother named Jordan. He was pretty much like your son, Edward, a womanizer – a playboy. He had a different woman with him every time I'd see him. It really bothered me how he treated women, but no matter what I said to him, I couldn't get him to stop," I said, a tear escaping my eye. Carlisle pulled out a handkerchief from his suit pocket, handing it to me.

I mumbled a feeble apology and thank you before continuing.

"My best friend Brianna was this innocent girl that had a major crush on Jordan. I made it clear to him that she was off limits, and he respected my wishes. That was until she was happily engaged and about to be married. He got her in bed and she got caught by her fiancé. Her fiancé broke off their engagement, my brother ignored her, and her parents disowned her. She lost everything. One night she came to where my brother and I lived with a gun."

I always hated telling this story. No matter how hard I'd try, the images and memories of that night were brought up to the surface.

"Her intention never was to hurt my brother; she wanted us to know why. My brother tried to stop her. During the struggle the gun went off and hit him in the back. Then Brianna shot herself."

I sniffled a few times wiping my face. "I lost my best friend and my brother that day. My brother is alive in a wheel chair, but he hasn't been the same. He refuses to try to walk even though the doctors think he may be able to. He doesn't think he deserves to walk."

"Well Bella, you have your heart in the right place. But this is hardly fair to you."

"Maybe, but I don't want something like this to happen to Alice or your family. You just never know how a woman could react to being hurt the way Edward has hurt them in the past. I didn't see that Brianna was that broken until it was too late."

"Thank you for telling me. I won't say anything to the others if that's what you wish."

"I'll probably tell Alice tonight."

Carlisle nodded, "Now get yourself cleaned up in Edward's bathroom before you face him again." I nodded walking into the bathroom and splashed my face with water. The face in the mirror was hard to recognize. The reflection wasn't the confident woman that walked into the office this morning; it was the face of a stranger. I wondered which one was the mask.

**Edward**

I waited patiently outside my office, pacing back and forth. _Okay, maybe not so patient._ What could he want to talk to her about? Why couldn't I be in there? And why was she on a first name basis with Black? These were all questions I hoped I could get answers for today during lunch.

I heard the tell-tale sounds of Bella's heels on my wood flooring in my office, approaching the door. I quickly ran to Bella's desk, grabbed a report, and started to skim over it.

"Well Bella, you certainly are going to be an asset to the company, and I'm looking forward to working with you in the future."

"Thank you, Carlisle. I'm looking forward to working with you and your wife, too." Bella smiled, but it barely met her eyes. In fact, she looked like she had been crying. What could've caused her to become so upset? My father nodded and left down the hall toward his office.

"Edward, can you give me a few minutes before we go?" I nodded and watched her grab a clutch from her desk and walk down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she returned looking refreshed and with a bright smile on her face. I gave her a questioning look, which caused her to frown slightly.

"Are you ready to head out?" I asked, noticing that she was not meeting my gaze.

"Yes," she whispered, her hands fidgeting again.

"Let's get going."

"Wait, are we going somewhere walking distance or are we taking a car?" Bella asked.

"We should take a car or maybe a cab," I said looking at her, while leading to the elevator.

"Can we take my car? I just got it, and this morning was my first time driving it. I'm dying for another spin in it." The excitement was evident in her voice and eyes.

"Sure, if that's what you'd like. May I ask what kind of car?"

"You'll see," she answered smugly.

We entered the elevator and when the doors closed, I became hyper aware of Bella's presence so close to me. I noticed we were alone, the heat from her body warming me. I chanced a glance in her direction, and noticed that she was staring at me from the corner of her eye. She smiled and looked down.

_Who is this woman? First shy, then confident. Her moods were starting to give me whiplash._

We made it to the floor of the parking structure, the doors opening with a pronounced whoosh. I guided Bella out of the elevator with a hand at the small of her back. _Guiding her—_I mockingly thought—_more like an excuse to touch her._ I allowed her to lead the way, my hand still touching her softly.

She continued to lead until she was standing in front of a red 599 GTB Fiorano Ferrari.

_Fuck, this can't be her car, can it?_

Bella removed her keys from her purse and pressed a button on the alarm, and the Ferrari beeped, its lights blinking twice.

"This is your car?" I gasped in complete fucking awe.

"Yup, I was on the waiting list for eight months before I finally got my baby." Bella was sporting a smug look on her face. _Show off._ Then again, I would look that smug driving one of these babies.

"It has a twelve cylinder engine, an F1 transmission, it reaches two hundred-five miles per hour and it goes from zero to sixty-two miles per hour in three-point-seven seconds," Bella stated firmly. She was enjoying this, much to my pleasure.

"Climb in." Bella smiled then winked before sliding into the passenger seat. I opened my door carefully and slid in. The interior consisted of mainly tan leather, but was accented with black. On the steering wheel with the red push to start button was the unmistakable yellow emblem of the prancing pony.

"You are easily impressed, Edward," Bella indicated flatly.

"Excuse me?"

"You've said what, six words, since I showed you my car? You are impressed. Is it the car or my knowledge of the car that impresses you?" Bella cocked an eyebrow in question.

"Both," I answered honestly. I just didn't mention that I'd like to fuck her on the hood of her car while her heels dig into my ass, creating the perfect fucking memory of it.

Bella's laughter filled the car, causing me to laugh with her. I have to admit, her laughter made it seem like she may have read my mind. "You should see my other car." Bella winked. That simple statement led to me to imagine us in various states of undress all while we fucked like rabbits in every luxury sports car that came to my mind. "So where are we heading?"

"Do you like Italian?" I looked over at Bella who pushed a button to start the car. She nodded. "Then Assaggio Ristorante is the best place for Italian."

"I know where that is." Bella claimed, pulling out of the parking spot. It was quiet for several minutes as we made our way to the heart of Seattle. The purr of the engine was sweet and allowed me to relax as she drove.

"So, a doctor, huh?" I asked, still trying to wrap my mind around all the new information I had gathered. I'd have to look at her resume to get a clearer picture of just who this woman was.

"Yes. You're not going to be weird about it, are you?" Bella asked, her eyes pleading.

"Weird? Why would I be weird about it?" I asked, not understanding her question.

"Well, someone like your brother, I'm sure would have made some wisecrack by now. But I'm not so sure about you."

"And what are your theories on how I would react to this new information?" I asked, curious as to what was going through her mind.

"Well, like I said, either you'll be an ass and make fun of me, or you'll think nothing of it and not even bring it up again, or you're mildly curious about just what I do during one of my sessions."

_Damn, she had me pegged with the last one._

"I'm leaning toward mildly curious?" Bella laughed lightly, trying to compose her face.

I didn't know what to say to that. I stayed quiet, lost in thought. Then Bella's laughter filled the car again.

"Now you're going toward 'not going to go there, but saving this conversation for later.'"

Bella pulled into a parking spot, putting the car in park. Her entire frame shook with laughter, and I joined her. "Men usually find my line of work intimidating. I think they assume that I'm analyzing everything they do."

"Do you?" I asked rhetorically.

"I try not to." Bella shrugged before turning off her car and exiting. I followed suit and went to her side again, leading her inside the restaurant by the small of her back. We were seated right away along a wall at a more private round table lit with candle light. I pulled Bella's chair out for her and she whispered a "thank you" before taking her seat.

Our waiter offered a wine list that we both turned away. Bella asked me to order for her. She said that she liked anything and everything, but that she didn't speak Italian.

I ordered Carta Musica and an Olivi Assortiti for appetizers, two Caesar salads and Gnocchi. After the waiter left, I turned to Bella.

"You own and drive an Italian sports car, but don't speak Italian."

"No, it's on my 'to do' list. So far I can cross out French, Spanish and German, but not Italian."

After that, our conversation was mostly about our educations and some of the places we had traveled to and places we'd like to visit. I found that we had many similar tastes. Bella expressed that she loved architecture and the places she wanted to visit had a broad range of different types. After a while, the conversation turned to favorite music and books. I also found that we had similar tastes. She enjoyed many genres of music: classic to hard rock, even country. But at the back of my mind I had a burning question. I wanted to know about her relationship with Black. I just didn't know how to bring it up.

"Bella is that you?" I heard an all too familiar voice behind me say. My blood was instantly boiling.

Bella looked up and behind me. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Jacob?"

**Bella**

No. Not now. It was too soon for Edward to know about Jacob and me. _Damn it_! Not to mention that I had not had a chance to talk to Jacob about Edward, and that I needed his help. I had to find out a way for him to keep his mouth shut.

**Edward**

"Hey Bella!" Jacob walked over to Bella, pulling her up from the chair for an embrace. I wanted to believe that his over enthused hug was nothing more than friendship.

One of my hands clenched on my lap and one grasped the table. They knew each other personally; they were just friends, I told myself. When Jacob released Bella, he finally noticed me. He glared at me for a moment before looking at Bella, addressing her as if I wasn't even there. "What are you doing here with him?" I bit back a growl, glaring daggers at the man before me. It didn't go unnoticed, but his arm was still wrapped around her waist possessively.

"Edward is my boss, Jacob," Bella said and winced slightly, moving away from Jacob.

"What the fuck?" Jacob spat, his voice rising. Bella glared at him.

"Excuse me Edward. I'll be a moment." Bella said, grabbing Jacob by the arm and leading him to the hallway leading to the bathrooms.

I tried not to look but I couldn't help it. Bella was gesturing wildly with her hands; her skin flushed as she argued in rushed whispers with Black. I watched as Bella seemed to calm down with one hand on her hip and the other pointing to the exit. Jacob turned to look at me and scowled, but he quickly drew Bella closer and kissed her on the cheek. Bella pushed him away, glaring at him before he finally left.

Bella composed herself and came back to our table. "Sorry about that," she said calmly. "I knew you two didn't like each other, but I had no idea that he'd be that immature about it."

As she took her seat, Bella looked at my expression and rolled her eyes. "And apparently, you're going to be just as mature about it." Her sarcasm changed the atmosphere from the electrical charge between us to undeniably tense.

"Just get it off your chest, boss," Bella snapped, glaring.

"Just what the hell is your relationship with my company's number one rival?" I hissed through gritted teeth.

"My personal relationships are none of your business, Edward," Bella said with a cock of her eyebrow and a smirk. She actually had the audacity to smirk at me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy. I felt like she could read me like an open book. I felt exposed. She had totally disarmed me already.

"Are you jealous?" _Yes._

I snorted. "Hardly Bella," I said in mock horror. As if I'd get jealous of something so trivial. Edward Cullen wasn't envious of anyone. I had to backpedal so I wouldn't look like an utter fool in front of this woman. For some reason, I felt that she'd take advantage of any vulnerability I'd show.

"Though, I'm starting to wonder if your coming to work for us has some ulterior motive since it's obvious you don't need to work."

Bella's head fell back as she started laughing. "You think I'm working for your company to spy for Jacob." I scowled. Her tone had a little taunt and teasing behind it; this was hardly a funny matter.

"You caught me, Edward," Bella said with her hands up in mock surrender. "I admit, I have ulterior motives, but they have to do with the project your father asked for us to work on." There was a flash in her eyes, one that I couldn't understand, but it was gone in a second.

"Then as your friend, what is your relationship with Black?" My face softened, and my breathing was starting to calm.

"Friends. Is that what we are Edward?" Bella asked, and looked at me through her long lashes with her observant brown eyes, momentarily stunning me. Bella smirked. Damn, she had to know what she does to me. And she was using that knowledge to her advantage.

"I'd like to think so," I admitted.

"So, as a friend, I will answer your question because otherwise, I would not. Jacob and I are just friends." Bella's face lit up with a lovely smile that caused my breath to hitch.

I was completely disarmed by her—fuck. This lunch was supposed to be another stepping stone toward seducing this gorgeous creature into my bed, but instead, she was the one dazzling me.

"Now," Bella whispered looking intently in my eyes.

Damn if that wasn't cryptic. I had chosen not to push the conversation further. It would only give away just how much it bothered me, but I knew that it would be brought up again.

We left the restaurant shortly after Bella complained about me paying for lunch. She was still mumbling profanities under her breath, something I wasn't sure she was aware of doing. I bit back a laugh when she handed me her keys.

"Here, you drive. I have a headache," Bella grumbled, walking to the passenger side. After unlocking the doors with her keys, I opened her door for her. She rolled her eyes, but chose not to comment on my attempt of being a gentleman. I was capable of being chivalrous.

I slid into the driver's seat and made a few seat and mirror adjustments before pulling out.

"We still have forty-five minutes until the meeting, Edward. If you want, you can put my car to the test," Bella said sweetly.

_Can she read minds?_

I grinned at her and she giggled with amusement in her eyes. I shifted gears and started switching lanes moving in and out of traffic. After several minutes, I noticed Bella leaning toward me. Her lips were well within my reach and quite inviting.

"A respectable eighty miles per hour," she mused. "I can imagine how much faster you'd be going if you had no traffic to worry about."

"I'd definitely be putting that two-hundred-five mph to the test." I smiled which she returned.

"I'm going to try to head out of town this weekend; do a little sightseeing. I'd like to see the Snoqualmie Falls. I haven't been there since I was a child." Bella's eyes saddened and she turned her gaze to look out her window.

"That sounds like fun. It's beautiful this time of year." For a brief moment, I pictured taking her hand and walking along the river, kissing her on the bridge. I wasn't about to ask if she'd like company, it would be too presumptuous.

We made it back to the office fifteen minutes before the meeting with the city officials. Bella sat through the meeting listening intently and taking notes. I would take a quick peek at her and couldn't help noticing her habit of biting her lower lip in concentration. She'd catch me staring and smile, closing her eyes with an audible sigh. After a couple of hours, we finished and were scheduling another meeting in another week. It was definitely looking good.

Bella and I walked back to our offices, the day thankfully almost over. "Edward, you don't have anything else scheduled for the rest of the day," Bella paused, looking at her watch. "It's almost four. Did you want to meet at the gym?" She stopped short when she noticed someone sitting at her desk.

"Jacob?" Bella's tone was murderous.

"Hey, Bells," Jacob got up from her desk and stalked toward us.

Now he called her by a nickname. They were definitely close – fuck.

"What are you doing here, Jacob?" Bella glared at him, and her skin was flushed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting.

"Well, you needed permission to alter my plans on your project, so I decided to drop off the form," Jacob indicated, handing Bella an envelope.

"That was fast. Thanks, Jacob." Bella looked at Jacob who was glaring at me, which I happily returned. Bella rolled her eyes and stomped off. "Men!"

"Jacob, Edward and I will look over the form, and I'll call you later about it." Bella stated before taking a seat at her desk. She turned her attention to her computer, blatantly ignoring us. She picked up a ringing telephone, and further pretended we were no longer there. Jacob and I glared at each other just a foot apart, both of our jaws clenched.

"Black."

"Cullen."

"Swan," Bella giggled, looking at the both of us. I couldn't help but laugh. Her laughter was infectious. "Edward, Mr. Knight is on line one and says it's important." I nodded before turning away from Jacob.

"I'll take it in my office, Bella. Thank you." I walked to my office door, but before walking in, I turned to see Jacob leaning over Bella's shoulder, whispering something in her ear. I growled and slammed my door closed.

There was something much more than friendship going on between them.

I spent about an hour in my office going through various things. My mind was not into it. It kept drifting to Bella's beautiful smile, her laugh and those fucking legs.

I gave up by five-thirty in the evening and decided to head home. I walked out of the office and found Bella sitting at her desk and typing away on the computer. She looked up and smiled, but it changed to a frown. I must have looked upset, but I wasn't about to tell her why.

"Are you heading out already?" Bella asked, her eyes widened and her lip curled under her teeth.

"Yes, it's been a long day. You can head out, too," I said, while closing my office door and heading toward the elevator.

"I'll see you later then," Bella whispered behind me. I felt terrible, but not bad enough to apologize for my behavior.

Ninety minutes later, I walked into the gym and spotted Bella. I took a deep breath and walked up to the treadmill beside her. "Hey," I said as I started pressing buttons to start my routine.

"Hey," Bella returned without looking at me. We stayed quiet for about an hour. Every once and a while I'd look at her, using the mirror in front of us. Abruptly, she stopped her machine and stalked off toward the private training rooms.

Should I follow her?

I turned my machine off and followed her to the same room we sparred in before. Bella smiled when she noticed me coming up behind her in the mirror.

"Are you ready for another session, Edward?"

"Yes." I kept my face composed. I was still upset about her and Jacob, and I wanted her to know it. It may have been childish, but these emotions were something I hadn't dealt with before.

I stopped a few feet from Bella and stood in a normal stance before bowing slightly. Our sparring was much like the last time. We remained quiet and the only sounds were our feet shuffling on the mat, grunts and skin-to-skin contact.

As time progressed, her movements became quicker and a little more forceful. I had given my slaps and punches a little more kick which she noticed. After another thirty minutes, Bella's skin was flushed and she looked livid. I slapped her right thigh so hard that it even stung my hand.

"What the fuck, Cullen?" Bella stopped moving, examining her leg, which I left a mark on. I shrugged my shoulders. She glared at me before taking a normal stance again. I came at her with a straight punch, but she stepped to her left and defended my strike with a right-handed outside parry. Then she delivered a roundhouse kick to my chest.

"Bella!" I rubbed my chest for a moment and decided to play with her. I pulled off my muscle shirt and examined the red mark that she'd left behind. I looked at Bella and the look in her eyes as they roamed my body caused me to adjust myself again.

_Here we go._

Our sparring intensified with more aggression or sexual tension. I couldn't tell the difference anymore, not when I was with her. Most of our moves were in the blue and red belt area. I had no idea what she was capable of, so I kept things simple. I didn't want to really hurt her, but the memory of Black kissing and whispering to her kept me from holding back.

"What the fuck is your problem, Edward?" she asked after I parried and kicked her hard on her right hip.

"Nothing, I just want to see what you're capable of."

"Bullshit. This has to do with Jacob. Ever since you slammed the door to your office when he was there, you've been upset." I didn't admit it, and I just responded by a swift straight punch to her right arm.

"Fuck… damn it Edward. Fine. Jacob and I dated for about a year a few years ago. He's dating my cousin now. That's my relationship with him. Family." She defended another straight punch with another outside parry and a kick to my chest. I had enough.

Bella threw a straight punch to my chest that I blocked with an inside forearm block. I stepped forward slightly with my left foot and turned on my foot counter-clockwise. I took my right arm and wrapped it around her waist before bringing my feet together. I bent my knees and lifted her on my back before throwing her down on the mat and striking a light punch to the side of her chest.

Bella groaned slightly and winced. I felt a little smug as I stood up, but I regretted it instantly. She looked like I hurt her, but I didn't see her feet lock around my right leg, pulling it from under me as I fell back on the mat – hard. I groaned from the pain in my back then Bella mounted me in the same move from our previous session.

"Are you going to admit you're jealous?" Bella smiled smugly.

"I don't get jealous." I tried escaping but only half-heartily. I liked the position too much.

"Good, so then I can tell you about how the sex was with him. _Friends _talk about these things," Bella said with a devious smile. She was about to continue before I stopped her.

"Fine. I'm jealous," I growled, trying not to look at her eyes. That proved to be difficult to do since she was a mere inch from my face.

"Why?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I don't like him," I huffed in annoyance. I felt her nipples harden against my chest, and I had to bite back a groan.

She was just as turned on as I was. My raging hard-on was already painful, just inches from her sweet backside and warm pussy.

"That's all?" Bella asked. I nodded.

We stared at each other, and the angry tension was gone. It had been replaced with the electrical charge that I usually felt in her presence. Her eyes held a wild look for a moment before she harshly pressed her lips onto my own. I groaned in pleasure, lost to the taste and softness of her lips.

I grabbed her face with both of my hands and deepened the kiss as she granted me access inside her mouth. She moaned softly, grinding her hips against my erection. The friction was delicious, and the warmth and taste of her mouth was intoxicating to my senses.

We remained kissing for what felt like hours, only distracted when I heard a ringing from somewhere on our right. Bella pulled away, her eyes on mine for a moment before untangling herself and jumping off me quickly.

"Sorry, umm, time's up." And then—she was gone.

"Fuck!" I lay back on the mat trying to control my breathing and my body.

_Bella Swan is going to be the death of me._

I headed home a few minutes later to take a cold shower, having to succumb to jacking off to the memories of Bella's soft lips and sublime backside. A few hours later I left to go to the club where the rest of my family already was with a full array of margaritas. Thirty minutes and three drinks later, the curtains leading to our VIP room opened.

In walked the woman that had starred in all of my dreams and fantasies since the moment I met her. _Bella Swan._


	6. Our Song

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Six – Our Song**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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* * *

Bella**

I made it home shortly after leaving the gym and was mentally kicking myself for my lack of self-control. My level of attraction toward Edward was beyond anything I'd ever encountered. I'd heard of the kind of lust and passion I felt when I was around him, but had yet to actually experience it. _What the fuck did this mean?_

Refusing to dwell on it, I chose to analyze it later. I rested for a few hours, going over Daniel Mitchell's file.

He reminded me of a patient I had in California. They had similar personalities and afflictions. His marriage had crumbled due to his infidelity, much like my previous patient.

I really hoped I'd be able to help this one. My former patient, Thomas Grey, was unable to overcome his addiction while he was in my care. Upon further sessions, I had to refer him to someone else, because like others, Thomas had started to fixate on me. I needed to see if I could succeed in helping Daniel.

I had taken measures to make sure I dressed differently when I had Daniel scheduled for an appointment. I never really dressed provocatively, at least on intention. However, in our last session, the lack of skin I displayed seemed to only fuel his imagination further.

Daniel was going to be one of my toughest cases. Well, maybe second since Edward was surely going to be my undoing.

Shortly after receiving a phone call from Alice to confirm our plans, I dressed quickly in a deep purple halter-top and denim skirt. It wasn't something I usually wore, but Anita, my personal shopper, insisted I tried to dress more appropriately when I went clubbing.

Taking one last look in the mirror, I ignored the little voice in my head nagging that I've been getting too close to Edward's family. Though in previous cases family help was beneficial, in Edward's they seemed more of a hindrance. There were too many people that knew, too many variables. I just had to make sure they understood I ran the show.

Plus, I needed some girl time and a damn drink.

I took the elevator down to the parking garage and couldn't help but remember what it felt like to kiss Edward. God, his lips were both harsh and perfect. Moreover, the feel of his hands on me was incredible. I've never been fascinated by a man's hands, but his were downright worthy of worship. I couldn't help but imagine just what he was capable of doing with his long fingers. I shook off the lust that ran through me, because I really needed to control myself around him.

When my beautiful car was in sight, I sighed deeply. This was the one gift I'd given myself, and I thought I deserved it. For years, I had given to charities, helped Nessie through school, paid for all of Jordan's expenses, and had never really allowed myself something.

Besides my wardrobe, of course, now I had my dream car.

I removed my keys from my pocket and was about to disarm my car when I noticed someone dressed in a dark jacket and jeans about to hit my driver side window with a crowbar. I quickly pressed the panic button on my keys and called out to him.

"I'd step away from my car," I said calmly. He turned around suddenly, the sound of the horn and alarm amplified within the steel and concrete of the garage, his eyes narrowed perceptibly.

He was young, not much older than fifteen years old. The look in his eyes told me that I very likely wouldn't be able to defuse this situation peacefully; he was high.

"Put down the crowbar and you can walk away," I said in a soothing voice. "You won't get into any trouble."

"Fuck you, bitch," he spat as he held up the crowbar higher, and even though he was hesitant, he took a step toward me.

Fucking hell. I reached carefully into my jacket pocket to make sure it was there. I wouldn't use it unless it was completely necessary.

"You don't want to hurt me," I said as I held up one of my hands.

"I… I just want the car!"

I nodded and held out my keys. I knew in all likelihood he'd wreck my car and the though it pained me, it was just an object. Then again, the idea of him driving into unsuspecting drivers or pedestrians was much worse.

"Come closer," he muttered, his eyes frantically looking behind me. I heard pounding footsteps and knew that help was coming.

This of course, pissed him off.

He roared and took a wild swing that I was able to avoid easily. I quickly rolled on the ground away from him, and went for my weapon. I aimed quickly as he brought the crowbar over his head and he froze for just a moment, my hit was true.

"Ms. Swan!" called out one of the security guards.

Security quickly took over and after giving a quick statement, I was finally able to leave.

_I swear, I seemed to be a magnet for trouble. _

It was well after ten o'clock by the time I made it to the club. The club was already full with rowdy people, and apparently, Margarita Monday was popular.

I made my way to the VIP room where, before entering, I straightened out my top, smoothed out my hair and tugged at my skirt slightly.

_I didn't realize this thing was so short._

Then I heard something that both frazzled my nerves and sent my woman parts in a frenzy, a rich manly laughter—Edward was here.

Had that little troublesome fairy planned this? Was I ready to face him again? Damn it, it was just a while ago that I was fantasizing about his hands. Did I have the strength to keep him at arms length?

I stood my ground and composed my face as I entered into the unknown.

**Edward**

"Bella, you made it!" Alice squealed, running up to Bella. She took her hand and pulled her further into the room. Our eyes locked for moment before she blushed and looked away. The memory of her soft lips on mine still burned clearly in my mind. I wanted to feel them against my lips, and everywhere else for that matter.

"Hello everyone," Bella said with a warm smile. "Sorry I'm late, Alice. I uh, had car problems." She laughed briefly. I looked at her in question.

"Your new car?" Alice paled. I guessed Bella and Alice were talking more outside of the office.

"Yeah, some guy was trying to break into it when I was getting ready to leave," Bella said, her head shaking in disbelief. I clenched my fists and barely managed to remain seated. Everything in me wanted to go to her and demand answers. And check for injuries—damn my dirty mind.

"What did you do?" Jasper asked, looking at Bella intently. Was he armed? Did he hurt her? What the fuck was she doing going down to a parking garage on her own?

"I tried to talk him down, but it didn't work. So, I tasered him. He was about to break a window." Bella shrugged. "Security took care of him after that."

"Wow," Alice said in awe. "Was he armed?"

"Just a crowbar," Bella muttered. From the look of discomfort her whole posture emanated, I'd say she wasn't used to being the center of attention.

"At least he didn't hurt you. So, when are you going to let me drive it?" Alice asked with her excitement reaching her eyes.

"Alice, I just barely got it. I was planning on going to the falls this weekend. Would you like to join me?"

"That sounds like fun," Rosalie said as she handed Bella a margarita. "Maybe we should all do that." Rosalie suggested, looking at Emmett.

"That sounds great. I haven't been able to take my jeep out in a while." Emmett agreed with Rosalie.

"Oh! I'd love to go up there in my Porsche!" Alice said, clapping her hands before taking a sip of her drink. Jasper called driver on the way up.

"I don't want to be a fifth wheel," Bella indicated with a small pout.

"You're not a fifth wheel, Bella." Alice said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you invite a friend?"

"I don't know. The only friend I have here is Jacob, and he's a little mad at me. My cousin Nessie is out of town, so—" Bella trailed off and seemed lost in thought. I was very pleased that she and Jacob were not talking right now.

"Maybe inviting Jacob with you will solve your little problem?" Alice countered. I clenched my fists; she had to know how much that would piss me off.

Damn her, sometimes Alice was just too meddlesome.

"Why don't you come with us, Edward?" Emmett suggested. A smile played at my lips, because I'd been trying to find a way to get an invite. This would be a perfect opportunity for me to get to know Bella a little better.

"Edward spending a Saturday driving around and hiking with us," Jasper said with a laugh. "I don't think so, Emmett."

_I could do it. I used to do it all the time. _"Hey, I could hike Jasper," I growled in my defense, glaring at him.

"When was the last time you went camping with us?" Jasper said in the same tone.

"I would love to come along with all of you," I said, ignoring Jasper's last comment and question. I looked at Bella expectantly, hoping to convey I wanted to ride with her.

_Please invite me, beautiful._

She looked at me for a moment then rolled her eyes. "I take it you want to test those two-hundred-five miles per hour?" Bella smirked, cocking her perfectly arched eyebrow. I nodded and gave her a small smile.

"You let Edward drive it?" Alice whined, clasping a hand around Bella's bare arm.

"I had a headache after lunch, so I let him drive." Bella shrugged while looking at my sister.

"You two went to lunch together?" Jasper asked mockingly in my direction.

"Yes, we did. Does he always insist on paying?" Bella complained, directing her question to Jasper.

"Not unless there's something in it for him." Jasper laughed as Emmett joined him.

Bella looked disappointed and she looked hurt. Fucking hell. If my own family spoke ill of me, then I couldn't imagine what she really thought of me.

"You know, I'm right here," I sneered. I grabbed my beer and stalked out of the room. I swear they couldn't even at least try to talk about me discreetly. It was as if I was some kind of inside joke, except I wasn't in on it.

_Did that mean they only saw the asshole?_

I made my way to the bar and tried to scope the dance floor. I had to get Bella off my mind, and the only way that was going to happen was if I took someone home tonight.

Then again, that would only prove that what my family told her was true. It would make getting her in my bed that much harder. Plus, I had come to value Bella's opinion.

Damn this new found conscience. I never actually had to try so hard to land a woman in bed. Usually they initiated it. And even though it seemed that this afternoon Bella was weakening, I felt a new wall was about to come up.

**Alice**

Something must have happened today, and I wondered if our plan was going to work. It already seemed that Bella was confused about her feelings just as much as Edward was.

And all this Edward bashing was making the situation worse. This already was hard enough as it was. I'd have to talk with Jasper and Emmett to lay off my adopted brother.

I was sure that Jacob would not appreciate that our plan would come to a halt before it actually worked. This morning, I was glad that Emmett had called and told me about Edward's lunch with Bella. It had been an excellent opportunity to present Jacob without Bella's knowledge.

I stepped away from my family and took out my phone from my pocket. I slid it open and found his number before hitting send.

"Hey little pixie," Jacob greeted.

"Hey dog," I countered.

"What's up, Alice?" He laughed at my annoyance.

"How did the lunch go?" I asked.

"Perfect. Bella wasn't expecting me, so she was pissed. Plus, the look on Edward's face was priceless. I can't believe he's jealous so soon after meeting her." He laughed for a moment before continuing. "I knew Bella had it in her to break Edward, but I didn't think she'd do it lightning fast."

"Something must have happened when they went to the gym today," I concluded.

"Bella called Nessie the other day and said that she and Edward sparred. So, I'm guessing it turned a little more intense."

"Sparring?" I questioned.

"Yeah, Bella was at the gym Sunday to meet Nessie. We found out that she and Edward go to the same gym. Nessie cancelled purposely and Bella found a new partner in Edward. "

"That's another thing in common. You are right, Jacob. They are perfect for each other. I still don't know why you are doing this, though."

"I told you before. I need Edward distracted, so I can steal more clients," Jacob said and laughed for several moments. "But the real reason is because Bella needs someone just for her and to stop doing this shit."

"I agree. She may be a strong, independent woman, but all this must take a toll on her."

"It does, even though she doesn't show it."

"Why is she doing this, mongrel?" I smiled at my new nickname for him.

"It has to do with her brother, but it's not my story to tell, Tinkerbell," he answered solemnly. I gritted my teeth, rolling my eyes_. How fucking original, Jake. _

"I better go. I'll call you later with the outcome of tonight."

"That's cool. I'll let you go back to your Peter Pan." He was laughing as he hung up. I scowled at my phone. I swear, working with the mutt had better be worth it.

**Bella**

Alice stepped out from the VIP room to make a phone call as I started to sip my margarita. Emmett pulled me up after a few minutes to dance, but my heart wasn't really in it.

Edward had left and would likely hook up with someone. The thought was hurting a little more than I expected. I was starting to think that I needed to get out of this assignment. I was facing a dilemma.

If I walked away from this assignment, I wouldn't succeed, and I left the chance to bring my project to light. I had the money to start construction, but I knew I didn't have a chance to come up with the rest of it. It would take years to get the funding I needed.

I needed to talk to Edward. I needed to know if there was any hope there. Any hope of him becoming someone that treated women with more respect. I also needed to see if he was even capable of loving anyone besides himself.

Alice returned and seemed a little flushed. She had a look of concern on her face. "Is something wrong, Alice?" I asked as she made her way to the sofa, grabbing her drink.

"Nope," she answered quickly before taking a long drink from her glass. I noticed a tiny twitch under her left eye—damn it she was lying. "So, what happened today?"

I rolled my eyes at her quick change of subject. I had no idea what she was lying about, and for some reason, I felt it had something to do with Edward and me.

Also, the meddlesome nymph would of course know that something was different between Edward and me. I shrugged my shoulders while taking the seat beside her. The others gathered to hear the details of my last encounter with Edward.

"Not much to tell," I started, hoping not to give too much away. "We were sparring, and he was a little rough, so I kicked him a few times. He didn't like that I had a relationship with Jacob, so I guess he was taking it out on me. Anyway, at one point, he threw me on the mat." Alice gasped, while Emmett laughed. Jasper and Rosalie were shaking their heads as I continued.

"He thought he had hurt me, so my 'pain' distracted him enough for me to pull out his leg from under him and he fell to the floor. So I mounted him—"

Emmett choked on his drink, earning a healthy thump on the back from his wife. "You mounted him?"

"Yes, it a Brazilian jujitsu move," I clarified. When I used the word mount, I was positive Emmett was putting a dirty spin on the whole thing.

Hell, so was I. This afternoon could've turned into really hot sex and me failing my assignment completely.

Emmett and Jasper threw their heads back in laughter. I ignored them and was about to continue, but I felt strange giving them any insight on what was going on between Edward and me.

This had never been the case when I reported to past clients. I shook off the feelings of guilt and told them the rest.

"So I asked him if he was jealous of my relationship with Jacob, but he denied it at first. But as soon as I threatened him with details of my sexual relationship with him he caved. He said he was jealous." I smiled at my little victory from this afternoon.

"Edward Cullen, jealous. Who knew?" Jasper said.

"What happened then?" Alice asked, looking at me intently.

Damn her sixth sense.

"I kissed him," I admitted and averted my eyes from Alice's intense hazel eyes.

"How did he react to that?" Rosalie asked, taking my empty drink from me.

"Enthusiastically at first." I briefly remembered how his lips and tongue tasted, sending a lick of heat through me. I tried to ignore it, but failed miserably. "But I put a stop to it and left."

"Well, unless you want Edward to take someone home tonight, I think you better go and dance with him," Alice said before getting up and walking to the railing. I didn't follow her, although I knew I should have. I needed to see first hand how he operated, but I was afraid of what I might see.

I had to put a stop to this now, before it was too late.

"Everyone, I think I need to step away from this one. We have too much in common, and I don't want to get burned."

"Bella, you're doing a great job," Emmett said while placing a gentle hand over mine. "And if you couldn't handle it, I'm sure you could walk away, but we need you to do this."

"He's right Bella," Jasper said with a small smile. "Edward needs this."

I sighed, not even trying to put up a front anymore. I was in too deep. There was a part of me that wanted to see what would happen between Edward and me. However, staying on the case wouldn't be the right way for this to happen. Yet, if I took out the assignment aspect of it, it would leave more vulnerable. Wouldn't it? I looked at Edward's family and they all looked worried. If they knew I wanted him much more than I led on, would they want me still to do this for them? I should tell them, but I feared they'd tell me to step away. I couldn't allow that to happen, if this was the only way for me to be with Edward, so be it.

"You're right," I said thoughtfully. I wasn't about to admit the reasons that I wasn't going to quit. They were my reasons—not theirs. If—and only if—there was something _real _between Edward and me, I'd make it clear that I'm dropping the case and tell them the truth. Even Edward.

"I'm not one to quit when it's get tough." I got up and stood by Alice, looking over the dance floor. I could see that Edward was sitting by the bar, and from the look on his face, he was bored and maybe even a little angry. There was a woman that seemed to be trying to talk to him, but he ignored her or possibly was unaware of her.

I smiled, _hmm, maybe this would be a good night after all_. It was time to go to work. Edward was in for a little surprise.

"Alice, can you request a couple of songs from the DJ?" I asked. She nodded as I whispered in her ear the two songs before I left to see Edward.

I walked up to the bar just behind him and leaned in close. "No prospects tonight, Tiger?"

**Edward**

I wasn't surprised that she was there, I'd been aware of her approach since I'd seen her come down to the floor level. However, I couldn't help the sharp intake of breath when I heard Bella whisper in my ear. She was so close and smelled so good. I could easily pick out her perfume in the stagnant air around me.

I tried composing myself, but it was useless. Damn, the effect this woman had on me had my body reacting to just her voice. I turned in the bar stool to look at her.

"None that compare to you," I said with a small shrug.

She smiled that infectious smile again, and shook her head. A strand of her dark hair fell out of place, and I quickly tucked it behind her ear. I traced the delicate curve there, smiling wider when I felt a shiver run through her. My palm rested on her cheek, and a blush colored her face.

God, she was beautiful. Thankfully, my intimate touch didn't cause her to move away.

An all too familiar song started to play, and this earned me a smirk and a wink from the bewitching woman in front of me. She took my hand that was still on her cheek and pulled me up to dance. "We have to dance to our song, again."

"Our song," I teased, giving her my best-crooked smile.

"Yes, Future Sex/Love Sound by Justin Timberlake." We made it to the center of the dance floor and she pulled me closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. My arms wound around her waist, and my fingers splayed over her lower back. She felt incredibly good in my arms.

"I love the title of this song," I said as I pressed myself closer to her, inhaling deeply to savor her scent on my tongue. She had to taste as good as she smelled. I wanted to find out.

"Hmm, the lyrics are pretty good, too," she said coyly and bit her lower lip. This simple gesture had her laughing and me groaning. She pulled away slightly and turned when the chorus started, her back pressed against my chest. Our bodies harmonious as we danced to the beat.

I leaned in, taking the luminous glow of her neck. I desperately wanted to explore the skin there, feel her pulse under my tongue. Nibble on it until her words mingled together into a jumble of incoherent words.

"Do you like it this? Do you like it like that?" I sang, whispering the song and pulling her in closer. She wanted to turn around to face me again, but I held her firmly against my chest. I loved the way her tight little body felt against mine; she fit perfectly. Our hips lined up, and I couldn't help but think about how this would translate in bed together.

"Your enemy are your thoughts, baby. So just let 'em go," I continued to whisper, and Bella whimpered slightly. "'Cause all I need is a moment alone to give you my tongue and put you out of control." Before I could finish the next part, Bella pulled away roughly, and grabbed my head. For one brief moment, our eyes met, and I could see the desire there, but also fear.

Right then, I knew I was in fucking trouble.

She roughly plunged her tongue in my mouth, and I lost all coherent thought. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her closer. The taste of her sweet mouth was overpowering my senses and seemed to be doing wicked things to my body. She pulled away suddenly, as if she regretted it.

She looked at me, and I could see the fear still there. "Sorry," she whispered, trying to pull away.

"Don't be," I said softly and caressed her cheek. I leaned in and placed another kiss on her lips. A soft, sweet one, one I'd hope wouldn't scare her further away.

She sighed softly and wrapped her arms around me. I pulled her up, so I wouldn't have to lean in. We remained kissing, and only broke away to breathe, but I kept my lips on her, giving in to my earlier desire. I kissed the pulse point of her neck, gently nipping there. The song finished and she started to pull away. She shook her head, looking at me.

"You, Mr. Cullen, are going to be the slow death of me," she said.

"Funny, I thought the same thing about you," I stated with a smile and a wink. She laughed and started to sway to the music.

I didn't recognize the song or group. "Who is this?" I asked.

"New Kids on the Block, Pussy Cat Dolls and Teddy Riley." She laughed, starting to mouth the lyrics. I laughed, because she never stopped surprising me.

"You're a fan of NKOTB." I laughed again.

"Excuse me, you know their nick name," she countered. She had me there. I had to listen to them around the house with Alice there back in the nineties.

"It's from their comeback album," Bella indicated, and then continued lip-syncing. Her arms were still around my neck as she continued to sway to the music. This time she chose to sing the lyrics, her eyes locked with mine. I loved the way her lips moved, and the way her chest felt against mine. She was warm, soft and _real_. I had been accustomed to the bought version of breasts, and real were few and far in between.

Bella pulled away from me and started to sing what sounded like the chorus.

"Do you like my body? Girl, you know I do," she sang.

Bella smiled when I laughed and wrapped her arms around me again. We swayed to the music as the chorus continued, her voice and lips lingering over my ear. We continued and she sang the female's part with perfection, but this time I sang her the responses looking straight in her incredible eyes.

Bella pulled away when another female part came. I tried to pull her closer but she shook her head and started to sing the part.

"So you want to get with me?" she sang and pointed at herself. "I gotta say that's what's up, but I must admit I ain't easy." Bella pointed at herself again, shaking her head as she continued to sway to the music.

"You gonna be workin' over time on me." Bella tapped at her wrist, laughing. I loved a challenge, and Bella was perfect for it.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey tell me what you want," she sang again, snapping her fingers.

I pulled her closer and joined her laughter. "You are one of a kind, Bella."

"Hmm, considering you met most of the Seattle's population of women—that actually means something," Bella stated with a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"I thought you weren't going to listen to what others say and judge me yourself."

"I did say something like that, but it's a little hard when I hear it from all sides. That includes your family."

"C'mon, let's go talk. I think we need to. Don't you think?" Taking her hand, I kissed it softly awaiting her answer.

She nodded, and I led the way back to the VIP room. Luckily, no one was in there. My family must have been enjoying themselves on the dance floor. I led Bella to the couch against the west wall and pulled her to sit beside me.

"Bella, I want you to give me a chance," I said while my hand rubbed circles on her wrist. Her pulse was racing under my fingertips.

"I don't know, Edward," she murmured as she looked at our clasped hands. "I don't want to risk my job and a chance to move my project forward."

"I can't promise you that everything will work out, but I can promise you that I would never put something that is that important to you at risk."

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "You've been with so many women Edward. I can't compete with that. And I don't want to be just another number." She rested her head on my shoulder as if suddenly tired, or maybe unsure of how to proceed.

"What do I have to do for you to let me see you?" I asked, kissing the top of her head.

"We'd have to remain professional while at the office. You have to let me pace our physical relationship and—" she trailed off.

"And what, Bella?" I asked, but my family decided it was a good time to interrupt us.

"Whoa!" Emmett said as he walked into the room. He started laughing when he saw Bella and me wrapped around each other. Rosalie smacked him on the back of his head.

"You two look cute together." Alice smiled and came to sit beside Bella. Damn, my family had the worst timing. "What's up?" Alice asked Bella.

Bella shrugged likely not wanting to answer, her head still on my shoulder. I was very pleased that she chose to stay close to me and not move away.

"I was telling your brother the rules if he wants to date me." Bella smiled and winked at me.

"Edward," Emmett said in a warning tone. I turned and glared at him.

"Don't worry, Emmett," Bella said as if she knew my family would protest. "I have one more request, and I know he won't be able to do it."

"And what would that be?" I asked, pulling away enough to look into her eyes.

"You have to erase every phone number on your cell phone from every woman you've slept with." She smiled, trying not to laugh.

My family laughed hysterically. "Jasper, I bet you two hundred dollars that he won't do it," Emmett said smugly.

"You're on. My two hundred says he will, but only because he loves a challenge."

Everyone, except for Bella and me chuckled. I couldn't believe my family was laughing at me again.

Should I really try to pursue this dangerous creature beside me? Was it worth it just to get her in bed? Of course, she was worth it, but could we really remain professional once I turned her away? Am I even capable of turning her away? I had no idea, and that thought scared the fuck out of me.

I knew I needed to get her out of my system if I was even to attempt a normal life again. I was starting to believe that once I had her, I wouldn't want to let her go. Was I ready for that now? Bella snapped me out of my thoughts.

"It's okay, Edward," Bella said softly and there was perceptible pain in her voice. "Friends we'll remain." She pulled away and got up from the sofa, walking away.

Her giving up made my heart pound in my chest. I couldn't let this happen, not without knowing—I had to stop her. I pulled out my cell phone and took out the SIM card from the back.

"Bella," I called out to her. Emmett glared at me and Jasper smiled knowingly.

Bella turned to look at me with a questioning look on her face. I waved my SIM card for her to see before I dropped it into the nearest drink in front of me.

She'd be worth it, and I did love a challenge.


	7. Margarita Monday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Seven – Margarita Monday**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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Edward**

"No backup?" Bella cocked an eyebrow, crossing her arms in front of her delectable chest. Most of my family was in a fit of snickering and laughter, I ignored them.

"I have two phones; one's business and—" I said but Bella finished the sentence.

"—the other's for pleasure." Bella smirked because she knew she had me there. Oh well, the numbers were gone. However, I had a photographic memory and wouldn't have a problem with inputting the numbers into another phone.

"Something like that," I answered honestly, remembering that women liked the honesty shit. "That was essentially my little black book."

"Well, I take it you've officially accomplished Step One, Edward," Bella said with a soft knowing smile.

"Step One?" I questioned in unison with Emmett.

I'd been so focused on Bella that I had completely forgotten that Bella and I had an audience.

"Step one of the Get Bella to Sleep with Me Plan or maybe the Bella Swan Project," Bella said almost smugly.

My family couldn't help themselves any further and began to laugh their asses off. Again, I was the source of all laughter. Even though their presence bothered me, another thing was more important. I couldn't help but wonder, could Bella read my fucking mind?

"Cat got your tongue?" Bella asked, looking at the obvious look of shock on my face. I shook my head, and chose not to answer.

If I had, I had a feeling she'd see right through me.

"One of the things I noticed about you—" Bella said even though I hadn't answered "—is that when you're with clients, you can name people, numbers, and describe things but barely glancing at your notes. That tells me that you have a really great memory." She smiled smugly but continued. "So the whole SIM card thing is not that big of a gesture since you can probably name everyone on the phone, their numbers, e-mail addresses and whatever rating you gave them."

I got up to close the space between us and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Then why did you ask me to do it?" I pouted. _The woman has me pouting._

"I don't know. I just wanted to see if you're capable of it." Bella giggled, shrugging her shoulders.

"What if I said that you're the only name and number I would list now." I exhaled softly under her ear and softly let my lips graze the same spot. Bella inhaled sharply, and I could feel a shiver run through her. I smiled before pulling back to look in her eyes.

Bella pulled my head closer to hers and her lips touched my ear, totally leveling the field. I thought I had her.

"Is that so?" she asked in barely a whisper. I nodded, completely under her spell. She laughed softly. "Fine, but as I sang to you before 'You gonna be workin' overtime on me.'"

"I think I can hang." I smirked, looking into her soulful brown eyes.

"Good things come to those who wait," Bella teased with a smile that made me tingle with anticipation.

_I should buy her a drink or two and maybe, just maybe, see if I can take her back to my place._ My throbbing erection seemed to be doing all the thinking now, which wasn't a good thing.

Alice's ringing cell phone pulled me out of my thoughts. While Alice was busy talking to someone, I was still holding Bella close to me. Despite the quick beat of the song around us, our movements were slow and deliberate. Her lips grazed my ear, and it felt like we were in our own little world.

"Edward, it's Esme," Alice said as she tapped my shoulder. "She said she couldn't get a hold of you, so she called me."

Alice huffed, holding out her pink cell phone for me to take. She snapped it away and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not your messaging service."

I smirked and ruffled her hair, and she slapped my hand away. I pulled away from Bella to take the call as she tried suppressing a giggle.

"I better take this," I said to Bella before turning to leave. I quickly turned to her, unable to quell the need to touch her again. She looked so beautiful under the dim lights, so I placed a soft kiss on her lips, much to both of our surprise. I left and made my way to a quieter area.

**Bella**

The feel of Edward's soft kiss left a tingling sensation on my lips. I touched my mouth briefly, and for the first time ever, I feared what it meant.

So far with Edward, all our kisses and touches were heated, fueled by desire and lust. However, feeling a tender kiss was—confusing.

"That was fucking awesome!" Alice squealed jumping up and down.

"Pay up, Emmett."

Jasper turned to Emmett holding out his hand palm up. Emmett scowled while taking out his wallet and giving Jasper a couple of bills. Rosalie shook her head, placing a hand on Alice to calm her down.

"I have a bone to pick with all of you," I said. Their eyes all widened, and if I wasn't a bit pissed, I'd have thought they looked comical.

"You all need to back the fuck off from Edward. You asked me to help him find love, teach him that he's capable of that emotion, yet all of you—" I pointed at each one of them "—can't even show him a bit of respect? You all need to stop with the betting and all the jokes about his promiscuity."

"We're—" Alice started, but I held up my hand to stop her.

"I'm not finished yet," I spat. "Reminding him of his indiscretions will only fuel his insecurity that he doesn't deserve to be loved. All that stops now, understood?"

They all nodded, and even though I felt a little guilty about how downtrodden they looked, Edward's feelings were more important.

"We're sorry, Bella," Alice stated. "But still, that thing with the card was amazing. I can't believe he did it."

"Yes, that went better than I expected," I said calmly. The anger I felt earlier started to dissipate. "Alice, I need to know when you invite me somewhere if your brother is going to be there. I wasn't prepared to see him here." I looked Alice in her eyes sternly.

"Sorry, I didn't even know he was coming," she said turning toward Emmett, so I was unable to see if she was lying. "Emmett invited him." She gave me a hug suddenly, and I was a little shocked that she made such an intimate gesture toward me. Especially, considering that I just chewed her out a few minutes ago. For some reason I returned it, just in this moment with Alice I knew she had a great capacity to love.

"You got him to go on a hiking trip and give up his numbers," Alice said in awe, yet I heard the tinge of pain in her words.

"Yes, it's a step in the right direction," I said, remembering the look of determination in Edward's eyes. "However, he'll most likely try to get me drunk tonight so I'd be more willing to go home with him. With that in mind, I need to make sure I drink nothing but non-alcoholic drinks without him knowing."

"Are you going to fake a buzz, Bella?" Rosalie asked while taking a seat where Edward was previously sitting.

"Yes. He'll either try to take advantage of me or not," I said with a simple shrug.

"So what are you going to do in either situation?" Emmett asked with excitement in his eyes as he waved over one of the servers.

"Well, if he tries to take advantage of me, I'll play along until the last possible moment and gag, or just fall asleep, and he'll hopefully back off. If he doesn't try to take advantage then I'll go to the next step," I said taking a seat beside Rosalie.

"What do you think he'll do?" Jasper asked with a tone of concern in his voice.

"Most likely he'll try to take advantage of me." I shrugged my shoulders. Emmett came back to the conversation after talking with the server.

"Okay, I talked with the waitress. She said that she can make sure you get nothing but non-alcoholic margaritas for the rest of the night," Emmett said, sitting on the armrest near Rosalie.

"Ladies, if he does try to get me drunk, I'm going to tease him. Are you in?" I asked coyly. They smiled gleefully as I gave them the details while not allowing Jasper and Emmett in on it.

"I think I hear him," Alice said. She may have heard his approach, but I felt him moments before she'd said anything.

Anticipation—I felt nothing but anticipation to see his face again. _Fuck, I'm in trouble._

**Edward**

I grumbled in disgust for a bit before making my way back to the VIP room. My family sure loved to meddle in my life.

Here was my mother, once again, was trying to set me up for a blind date when we met for dinner Wednesday. As if I'd need her help.

I walked back into the room and my eyes quickly swept the area. Emmett was sitting on the armrest of the sofa where Bella and Rosalie were talking amongst themselves. Alice and Jasper were swaying to the music together, overlooking the dance floor.

Bella smiled once I entered the room. Her greeting pleased me as I walked over and offered her my hand. She took it without hesitation—another triumph. Her walls were starting to crumble, and I knew it wouldn't be too hard to get what I wanted.

I took a moment to see what that would entail; strangely, I found myself imagining playing my piano for her. I shook the fleeting image from my mind, willing it away to concentrate on the woman in front of me.

"Is something wrong, Edward?" Bella asked as I pulled her closer. I placed my hands on her hips as the heart pounding music flowed through us. Within moments, we were moving along to the music, in perfect synch to the rhythm and to each other.

"I'm having dinner with my parents Wednesday night, and my mother tried to set me up on a blind date."

Bella laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I think it's sweet that she still watches out for you."

I rolled my eyes at that, but continued to hold her close. "I told her I already had a date." I smiled suggestively.

"Really?" Bella smiled knowingly. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"You," I said innocently.

"I'd love to go with you," Bella whispered. I felt the warmth of her breath dance over the tiny hairs of my neck, pulling a delicious shiver from within me.

_She may be a rare repeat performance. _

I pulled away to look at her face, meeting her gorgeous eyes. "Can I get you drink?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes.

"I have one coming, but I don't think I'll have anymore," Bella said a bit concerned. "I have to drive home later."

"How about I drive your car home?" I offered slyly. I had a couple of drinks, but if I drank water for the rest of the evening I'd be able to drive.

"You don't mind being the designated driver?" Bella asked with a smile. I shook my head, causing her smile to widen. However, I could see something in her eyes that didn't match the sweet smile. I was being paranoid.

A server came into the room with a fresh round of margaritas and beers for everyone. Bella took the drink that the server offered and gave me a wink over the rim of the glass.

The drinks continued and the small talk flowed. Within a couple of hours, my family and I had Bella giggling, while she sat conveniently in my lap. I must've had a stupid grin on my face because Bella looked at me occasionally and asked me why I was smiling. I'd just shrug my shoulders and hand her another drink.

The ladies wanted to dance so we called for a bathroom break so we could meet up on the dance floor after. I knew Emmett was dying to ask me something or else I would not approve of male bonding time at a urinal.

"So brother, after all the stuff with the phone, you're still just going to bang her and then toss?" I noticed the sharp edge in his voice. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

_What does it matter to him?_

"Alice and Rosalie like her," Jasper stated while washing his hands. "If you hurt her, she'll walk away."

"She works for me, and besides, that project of hers is important to her. So even when I _toss _her, she won't sue or leave." I shrugged my shoulders.

It was a no-win situation for her, and it would most likely be awkward for us, but I could live with it. Right?

"So in other words if she chooses to go after your ass, you'd use her project against her," Jasper said as if he was disgusted. "Even I know that's some fucked up shit." He left as if he was unable to look at me.

Well fuck.

"I knew it, same old Edward," Emmett said, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

I knew I was an asshole. It's just who I was. Fuck, what if she walks away from her project because of me. Would I be able to live with myself?

A part of me was in agreement with Emmett and Jasper. That part wanted to see where the thing between Bella and me could lead. However, there was a part of me, the part below the waist, which just wanted to get inside her. Fuck, what was I going to do?

I left the bathroom and found Jasper and Emmett. Despite their anger toward me, they led me to the center of the crowded dance floor. There in the middle, Bella, Rosalie and Alice were getting the crowd riled up with their dancing.

Once the song finished the DJ made an interesting announcement. "I have a special request from bodacious Bella; the song by the Pussy Cat Dolls—Buttons!"

The crowd parted for a moment, long enough for me to see them. In between my drunken sister and sister-in-law, was Bella. She was moving seductively, starting to sway to the music as Snoop finished his opening. Then they started to sing the chorus.

She looked so good, so fucking hot, looking as if she wanted to grab me and have her way with me—fuck the other people in the room. I was fucked. How was I supposed to resist that temptation?

The state of my cock said I'd fail completely at resisting. My inner geek said, "Resistance is futile."

"_I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons,_" Bella sang. Alice and Rosalie belted out an "uh, huh," before Bella continued. She kept her eyes on mine, but then slowly dragged her gaze over my body. I couldn't help but feel the jolt of lust run through me, because she looked fucking predatory.

And damn it if I wasn't her willing prey.

Bella stepped forward as she continued to sing, swaying her hips and pulling dance moves that I'd love to see in my bedroom—only. The crowds of men around them were erupting in hoots and whistles, snapping me from my own fantasies.

The same emotion I'd felt the first night I saw her at the club coursed through me—I was jealous. I glared at a big dumb blonde man who was ogling her as if she were his.

_Mine!_

Bella continued to sing the lead, her hands roaming her own body. Jasper and Emmett watched with awe, and I had to adjust myself. God, help me, I was sure it would happen again.

"_Typical. Hardly the type I fall for. I like when the physical_—" Bella sang as she swayed slowly. Her hands ran over her breasts, then she popped her sweet ass and went down low.

OhfuckingChrist. There was only so much I could take.

I was barely aware of my sister and Rose dancing in the same manner, my attention fully on Bella; my eyes glued to her barely clad backside in the tiny skirt she was wearing.

"_You've been saying all the right things all night long_," the song continued as Bella, Rosalie and Alice started to lift the hems of their tops. I looked over to Jasper and Emmett who seemed just as against what seemed to be happening as I was.

_Hell no. _

"_But I can't seem to get you over here to help take this off_," Bella purred as she crooked a finger in my direction. Oh fuck. Her torso was already bare as she continued to pull her top slowly higher. The whistles and catcalls brought my thoughts back to the fact that she was about to expose herself because_ I_ got her drunk.

_I'm actually feeling guilt. Ahh!_

"Fuck, grab them," I grunted at Jasper and Emmett who were still stunned. However, once they heard me, they closed the distance quickly while I stepped closer to Bella. I glared at some of the assholes trying to get closer to her. I growled, "Mine."

I grabbed Bella's wrist before she completely removed her blouse, stopping her. Emmett grabbed Rosalie, who immediately tried to fight him off.

Jasper got a hold of Alice and despite her protests, threw her over his shoulder. Bella was still moving to the music and grinding against me, somehow her sweet body coerced my thigh between hers.

_Fuck, I could feel the heat of her sex against me._

I couldn't help but groan and tighten my hold on her. She smirked and ground harder while her other hand continued to pull the shirt over her breasts. As much as I wanted to see them myself, I didn't want anyone else to.

The catcalls and whistles turned to boos as I pulled Bella up and away from the dance floor. Jasper reappeared suddenly and handed me Bella's purse and keys.

"Get her home," Jasper said shaking his head with Alice still hung over his shoulder. "I better take Alice home before she does something she'll regret."

"Beellllaa! That was fun, but next time we need to do it to '_Don't Cha_,'" Alice said, giggling then slapped Jasper's ass. He grunted, but not before he smirked in my direction. Asshole knew he was about to get lucky tonight.

"Back off, Emmett," Rosalie spat. "I'm not that drunk. I can handle the male population in here if they try to touch these." She glared and grabbed her breasts before slapping his face. Emmett rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist. He flung her over his shoulder and sprinted toward the exit with Jasper and Alice close behind him.

"Are you going to go all caveman on me too, Edward?" Bella smirked mischievously while still pulling on her shirt. I rolled my eyes.

I picked her up from around the waist but before I could sling her over my shoulder, she wrapped her legs around my waist. I groaned, God so close to the fucking promise land.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck. I held her tighter, walking outside into the cool night. She shivered from the brisk air, and held me tighter, pressing her chest closer to me. That alone was doing nothing but making me harder. Fuck.

"Bella, where's your car?" I asked, hoping to find it parked along the street.

"It's in the parking lot right over there," Bella said, pointing behind me. I turned and spotted her Fiorano. I made my way to it while Bella played with the hair on the back of my head, driving me insane.

"You know you're really fucking cute, Edward." Bella smiled and kissed my temple, then my jaw, then sucked on my ear.

_Fuck me._

"Um, thanks," I responded as I set her down beside the passenger door. With her keys in hand, I unlocked the door, and placed Bella on the seat before buckling in the five-point harness.

She was not making it easy considering the harness met in the middle of her chest. Bella kept giggling and pushing my hands away.

"Stop it, Edward. If you want to touch them, you have to wait until we get to my apartment."

I groaned at the thought, and I finally finished buckling her in. One of her legs was still out of the car, and I carefully lifted it inside before closing the door. I might have copped a little feel of all that smooth skin for a second or two.

I slid into the driver's seat and made adjustments of all the mirrors and seats. Bella was a tiny thing, considering how far back I had to push the seat. After a minute, I pulled out the parking space; all the while she kept singing about taking her clothes off.

It was not helping the situation down below.

Once on the street I realized I had no idea where she lived. I looked over to her, a beautiful smile on her face. I took a moment to admire her. I loved seeing her so carefree, without the weight of the world in her eyes I had sometimes seen.

"Bella, honey," I said, snapping her from her song. "Where do you live?"

Her beautiful eyes widened for a second before she started laughing, "Funny story," she stated with a grin. "I live in the building next to yours on the tenth floor."

"Really?" I was stunned, she'd been that close for weeks. Bella just nodded while playing with the stereo. "In the Moore building?"

"Yes." Bella nodded a little too hard. She was going to have one hell of a hangover. "You know, you're really fucking cute, Edward." She looked at me this time with such a serious look, that I couldn't help but laugh. She had the most adorable facial expressions.

A part of me thought that taking her to bed now was going to be too easy. However, the other part of me wasn't going to waste such an opportunity. So much for trying to be the good guy, he had left the building the moment she ground her hot sex on me.

The drive over to her building was a delicious torture. As we came to our first red light, Bella's hands started to wander over her _own_ body.

Fucking hell, there was no resisting this woman.

Once we started moving, she'd stop. I found myself slowing considerably, just to watch her hands run over her legs and breasts.

Apparently, Bella was a horny drunk.

At the last stop before our street, Bella upped the sexual tension by running her tongue over my ear and taking it in between her teeth. I groaned, and my hands clenched around the steering wheel as I waited for the light to turn green. I desperately wanted to fucking pull her onto my lap and have her ride me, fuck traffic laws.

"Bella, baby," I gasped as her mouth nipped at my neck.

"You have a cute little mole here," she said giggling. "I want to suck it."

I groaned before pulling up to the guard of her building, I grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. She gasped for breath, pushing away. Her eyes were bright, wide and alert. Her breath was as ragged as my own. I was damn sure I could get her to fuck me in the car once we parked.

_Why wait until we got upstairs?_

A horn from behind broke the tension between us. I shook my head from the sexual haze I was in and pulled up to the guard. Bella smiled at him, telling him she just moved here.

He hadn't recognized her but asked what apartment she lived in while she looked for her card.

"Ah ha!" Bella exclaimed with a brightly colored card in her hand. She climbed over the console and onto my lap.

I threw my head back and groaned. Fucking hell, her ass was in my hands, literally, as I steadied her.

"Look, I found it," Bella said cheerfully. The guard couldn't help but smile at her and leaned in to take a closer look at the card she was holding up. "Wait. Is this the right one?" She looked back at the card, and then at the guard as color filled her cheeks. "How about if I flash you?"

The guard cleared his throat and shook his head. "That won't be necessary Ms. Swan," he said, blushing. His eyes fell lower, but quickly snapped back to her eyes. I looked and couldn't help but whimper. Her beautiful chest was practically on display as she leaned out the window.

Her ass was swaying slightly, practically in my face. I was seriously considering taking a bite of it. It was taking everything in me not to pull her around and ground my erection against her.

Embarrassed, the guard allowed us entrance and Bella high-fived me when she succeeded to get us in. God, she was cute like this. She was so uninhibited, and wore this freedom beautifully.

I pulled into Bella's assigned parking spot and noticed that in the other parking spot assigned to her was a charcoal grey Gran Turismo Masterati. _Is that her car, too?_

"Bella, we're here. Do you want me to help you up to your apartment?" I asked, looking at the beautiful creature beside me.

"Yes, please." Bella smiled at me, then winked. I quickly slid out of the driver's seat and walked over to her door. I helped her with the harness again while she watched me, staying still this time as her face flushed. I grazed her left breast removing the seat belt.

"Edward," Bella whimpered. The sound did nothing for the ache as I pulled her out of her car. I carefully wrapped an arm around her waist and walked us over to the elevator.

"Yes, love?" I encouraged her to continue.

"You have a cute ass." Bella giggled, swatting my behind hard. Fuck that was she left her hand in my back pocket, giving my cheek a good squeeze.

Damn, she was definitely worth a repeat performance, maybe for an entire week of them. I mentally planned the next several days.

We already had a date Wednesday, then a drive Saturday. Maybe we could spend the night up by the falls. I had already fantasized about fucking her in different positions, now I'd have more time to explore them.

"Edward, this is really nice of you," Bella said sheepishly, biting her lower lip.

"I just wanted to make sure you made it up alright," I explained, giving her waist a squeeze.

"No really, it's really nice of you. Most men would've tried jumping my bones in the parking lot, but not you. You're actually taking me seriously." Bella smiled that smile that always tugged at my heart. With those big brown eyes, that I swore can reach into my mind and find all my secrets.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

Damn. Was I really going to fuck her tonight?

If I fucked her now, she would possibly regret in the morning. She would be pissed at me for taking advantage of her, especially after the demands that she made earlier. Not only that, but was I willing to risk our professional relationship, her project and the women and children she was helping.

Fuck! I hated my inner-voice.

We made it to the elevator, and I pressed the button for her floor. The wait was in amicable silence, but I used the time to try to evaluate the situation.

Once in the elevator though, Bella attacked me. I mean _attacked_ me. She placed her hand on my chest and pushed me against the wall of the small elevator. With a look of lust, longing and determination, she plunged her tongue in my mouth.

I moaned as her arms wrapped around my neck and she hopped up. I had to grab her ass to catch her. Her legs wrapped around my waist as her warm sex pressed against my abs. My cock, which was still at attention since we left the club, was straining against my jeans. "Bella love, you're driving me crazy."

She hummed in agreement while kissing and licking my neck. The elevator dinged as we reached her floor. The doors opened, and I walked us into the hallway with her still attached to me. Not that I was complaining.

"Bella, which one is your apartment?" I asked, barely able to concentrate enough to form whole words as she continued her assault on my neck.

"It's 103B to the right," Bella whispered as her teeth raked over the most sensitive area along my neck.

"Fuck, Bella." I gasped, the slight pain only hardening my cock further. I finally found the apartment door. "We're here, love."

Once I said where we were, her legs unlocked from around me and settled on the floor. My cock immediately missed her warmth. She pulled away and smiled, unlocking the door.

I was ready to leave, I told myself. It was for the best. My current newfound inner-voice told me that I shouldn't be trying to get in her pants when she was drunk. My _ego_, however, was telling me that she may forget the encounter and no one should forget a night with me.

_Yeah, I like that instead of the mushy stuff_.

Bella opened the door and walked through as I remained in the hallway. She turned to look at me, her doe like eyes widening. "Are you coming in?" she asked, as she grabbed a fistful of my shirt and pulled me inside before closing the door behind us.


	8. In Her Room

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Eight – In Her Room**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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Bella**

After Edward returned from his phone call with his mother, I could feel the change. I wasn't sure what was changing, but it was there.

I had known the moment I'd given Edward the go ahead to pursue me that there was a perceptible change in his attitude. He turned on the charm further, and it seemed he even attempted to _woo_ me.

This was common with all other subjects before him.

The problem now lied on the fact that I wanted him to pursue me, and not just for the case.

Then he floored me by asking me to dinner with his adoptive parents. It was so unexpected that I really thought for a while that he would actually try to be a good man.

Then of course, he ruined that when he asked if I'd like a drink. Damn him. He hadn't even attempted to hide his eagerness for me to drink, and even offered to drive me home.

I had taken the drink that the server had offered me, and she gave me a wink. When Edward saw how eagerly I drank, his smile had widened.

_Asshole._

After that, I had to put a show on, my best fucking performance. I followed his lead and talked about anything and everything. I found myself answering most of the questions honestly. We had a lot in common. The conversation with him and his family was _fun._

I had let myself relax even though I knew what was about to happen soon. Therefore, the drinks continued coming my way.

At one point, Edward and I were dancing and we collapsed on a sofa, with me conveniently on his lap. There I stayed, not that I minded. In fact, I loved sitting on his lap, laughing at Emmett's stupid jokes or lewd comments, which earned him a smack from Rosalie.

Throughout the night, Edward kept my drinks coming, never allowing me a break. I knew this was characteristic in my previous subjects, but for some reason, I had really hoped Edward wouldn't try this approach.

At one point, Alice and Rosalie pulled me into the bathroom. "He thinks you're drunk, and he's going to take you back to your place. Sorry, Bella," Alice stated, disappointment written on her face.

"I know, Alice. Honestly, did you expect anything else from someone like him?" I shrugged my shoulders. I tried to play off how much it really bothered me that he was going to fail my little test. None of my nine previous subjects had been able to resist trying to take advantage of drunken Bella.

Case in point:

_Subject: Jacob Black AKA the Skirt Hound_

"_Jacob, thank you for bringing me home, that was nice of you."_

"_No problem, Bella. Do you think I can come in and discuss the project?"_

_He did not just use my project as an excuse? Yup, he's going to try and take advantage of me while I'm _drunk_._

_Jerk._

"_Umm, I'm a little out of it but okay." I opened my door, letting Jacob in. He quickly pushed me against the door. Ugh! Couldn't he at least try to be a gentleman for a minute? I was starting to think that he had a problem with boundaries and personal space. He had always been very hands on since we were kids._

"_Jacob, what are you doing?" I asked as he grabbed my hips, pressing himself against me. Oh damn, he's already good to go. Shit. How do I get out of this one?_

"_I'm about to make you very happy, Bella." Conceited much? Cocky, arrogant, addicted to his reflection and apparently sex. I have to do the only thing I can think of. _

_I clutched my stomach and gagged as I ran to my bathroom. I closed the door behind me, grabbed the glass full of water and threw it in the toilet while I gagged again. It worked because Jacob was gone by the time I came out. He hadn't even bothered to check if I was all right._

_Jerk. _

I was brought out of my thoughts when Alice tapped my shoulder. "So are we going to really do this little dance number to tease Edward?" Alice asked from a cramped corner of the stall the three of us were standing in.

"Yes, I want to see what he's going to do with other men watching me," I said warily. "He's already shown that he's capable of jealousy."

"I know Emmett will be excited to see me doing it, but he'll also be pissed about all those pervs watching, too," Rosalie stated, folding her arms across her chest. She seemed to be looking forward to what the night had in store for her.

"Jasper is going to have a fit, too," Alice indicated with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Well, maybe we should go a little further?" I suggested. I told them what I had in mind and they agreed. After we freshened up, we headed out to the dance floor.

Our little dance number had been a wonderful success. Edward had indeed been jealous and somewhat possessive when other men ogled me. Not that he didn't get a kick from watching me, even having to adjust himself in the middle of the dance floor. Score one for me.

One thing I hadn't accounted for was my reaction to the look in his eyes. It was predatory, animalistic and it had done a number on me, one that shook me to the core. I wanted him. I mean I really wanted him.

When I had started to remove my top, I waited to see what he would do. This had been where every subject failed to stop me. They had actually allowed me remove my top.

It wasn't something I was proud of, exposing myself in public like a girls gone wild college girl, but hey I had nice ones. So why not?

I had known Edward was capable of guilt, remorse even. The few times I feigned pain while we sparred had proved that. On the dance floor, I wanted to know if the guilt of getting me drunk would cause him to stop me.

He did. He had fucking stopped me.

I had been so happy, because he was the first one to pass the test. I was giddy. I was horny. Now, I wanted him more.

I was still moving to the music and grinding against Edward thigh, creating friction I needed as he held me close. I still had to play drunk so I continued to try to remove my top. Edward looked at me, his eyes still intense but glazed over.

Soon, we were on the way out of the club with me contently wrapped around him. I couldn't help myself, so I continued playing with him. It was more for my advantage than his.

He was so delicious.

I told myself he could still try to take advantage of me when he dropped me off. This was a way to see what he'd do. If kissing him and licking his little mole was a way to prove that he was a good guy, then I was all for it.

When he placed me into the passenger seat of my car, he hadn't even tried to feel me up. I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or not.

The drive to my apartment had been fun. I'd even fantasized for a moment of taking him into my mouth, but thought better of it. I needed to see if he'd try to get frisky in the parking lot. He stopped once to give into his need and kiss me.

It was one of those kisses that would make a person's heart race, blood boil and certain female parts tingle with need.

Once we parked, he asked if I'd like help up to my apartment.

Hmm, he was giving me the choice? I could end it right here and he would pass the test, but did I really want him to succeed? No, not really. I was so fucking screwed and needy. I was way out of my element here. I could give him another out later, because I really wanted to kiss him again.

Soon, we were walking toward the elevator and Edward said something. The endearment "love" caught me off guard and had my heart beating frantically. I shook it off quickly and played along again.

"You have a cute ass." I giggled swatting his firm behind hard. I groped his tight ass for a second before leaving my left hand in his back pocket. I couldn't wait until I jumped this man.

_Be strong Bella. You can wait. Maybe Saturday… maybe we can get a room when we go to the falls... Focus Bella!_

I needed to provide him with something to hopefully dispel his need to take advantage of me. I wanted him to succeed on this little test, because it would move our relationship that much faster.

That was a good thing, right?

"Edward, this is really nice of you," I indicated, biting my lower lip.

"I just wanted to make sure you make it up alright," Edward explained with a squeeze.

After explaining that most men would've taken advantage of me, I could see the cogs in his head moving as he internally struggled with his feelings and his inner-voice.

I still wanted to kiss him. "Drunk Bella" _would_ kiss him. Fuck it.

We made it to the elevator as Edward pressed the button for my floor. Then when the doors closed, I attacked him. I pushed him against the wall of the small elevator and plunged my tongue in his mouth.

_Fuck, he tastes so good._

Once we got to my door, after many heart pounding kisses and licks, I was confused as to what I wanted to happen.

Edward was quiet behind me as one of his hands gripped the frame of my door, the other I noticed clenched in a fist on his side. He was struggling with his urges and his need. He wanted me but not this way. I smiled.

After I managed to get the door open and walked into my apartment, I realized that Edward had remained in the hallway. I turned to look at him, and it dawned on me he really was going to be the good guy.

It was too bad that I wasn't done with him yet. Just because he wasn't willing to take me to bed in my state, didn't mean we couldn't have any fun.

"Are you coming in?" I asked as I grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling him inside and closing the door behind us.

**Edward**

Bella had her hand fisted in my shirt and all I saw in her eyes was desire. And for some reason, it bothered me. She wanted me just as bad as I wanted her but it wasn't the same. This just didn't feel right. She was under the influence, and I felt that I would be forcing myself on her. I couldn't do that to her.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Bella asked with her cute little brows furrowed in question. I leaned in and kissed her forehead, lingering there.

"Bella, you're drunk, and even though I want you, we won't be doing that now," I stated, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear then caressing her cheek. Her eyes started to glisten with tears.

Oh no. Did she think I'm rejecting her?

Bella's eyes widened and she smiled brightly. "I can't believe the great Edward Cullen is passing on a chance to get under my skirt."

I sighed and shrugged, but kept a hand on her. I needed to touch her, I wasn't sure why. I just had to feel her.

"Bella, trust me, I want you, but not like this." I kissed her forehead again, wrapping my arm around her to lead her to the sofa.

"We don't have to do anything, Edward. Just sit and hold me," Bella whispered. I stiffened and stopped in my tracks. I had never been asked to just hold a woman before.

"Edward, it's fine," Bella said quickly as if she sensed my hesitance. "You can go now. Luckily, you live in the next building."

She giggled and pulled away and walked to a large window toward her dining room. She opened the blinds and gestured for me to join her. The picturesque window opened to the view of my building.

I counted the windows and the floors, and I realized that our apartments were almost directly in view of each other's. I turned to look at Bella, who winked. She knew, and now I wondered if she watched me. I shivered slightly at the thought. I didn't know if I should be freaked out or turned on.

"I found out the other day when I was going through some files," Bella said softly. "Imagine my shock."

"That is strange," I indicated slowly and ran my hand through my hair. "Well, I guess I'll head home now." I didn't really want to leave.

"If that's what you want. Thanks for your help tonight." She mumbled something else, shaking her head slightly.

"Is something wrong Bella?" I asked, worried that she might stumble.

"It's just that you have taken me by surprise, Edward. I don't get surprised. I usually know how to read people," Bella said, her voice thick with confusion.

"And what about me surprised you tonight," I asked, wrapping my arms around her. She looked up at me from under her long lashes and smiled.

"Well, I thought you were trying to get me drunk so you'd have to take me home and you know." Bella shrugged.

"Give me a little more credit than that, Bella," I huffed a little annoyed. She was technically right, because that was my original plan. She sighed, placing her head on my chest.

"I'll most likely forget all about this by morning," Bella mumbled before pulling away.

"Don't worry. I'll be happy to remind you," I teased. She shot me a glare as she walked back toward her door. I followed her and noticed that she wobbled. I quickly steadied her.

"Oh! I guess I'm a little light-headed, sorry," Bella whispered, putting her hands on my chest. I picked her up bridal style.

"Maybe I should take you to bed," I suggested walking toward a hallway.

"And here I thought you were going to be the perfect gentleman." Bella giggled, pointing to one of the doors.

I made it to the door and pushed it open softly with my foot. Her room was in mostly rich hues of blue and brown. It consisted of a large iron bed, an oddly shaped leather chaise in one corner and a silk duvet in dark blue. I walked to her bed and laid her down. Before I had a chance to pull away, she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer, and kissed me.

My eyes rolled and my toes curled from the kiss. It was sweet, slow and so fucking warm that it sent my heart into overdrive. pulled away to breathe and to look at me.

She whispered in my ear, "Edward, remind me when I see you again that I owe you one." She placed a gentle kiss on my lips before releasing me. I pulled away reluctantly.

"You don't owe me anything, love." I bent down beside the bed taking one of her legs in my hands, taking the time to feel her skin before I removed her high heel. Bella moaned softly and the sound went straight to my already blue-balling cock. Fuck.I kept up with my new form of torture and removed her other heel. Choosing not to tempt myself further I took it off fast.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking at me, propped up on her elbows and biting her lower lip. "Edward."

"Yes, love." I replied, enjoying the look of her hair fanned across the sheets.

Bella smiled. "Don't forget to remind me that I owe you one."

I just nodded in agreement. I wouldn't be reminding her anytime soon. "How about you and I carpool tomorrow?" I asked hoping that she'd agree, my time with her would help us both.

"Are we trying to save the ozone now too, Edward?" Bella cocked an eyebrow as her hands went to the button of her skirt.

"The wasting of finite resources is always important to me."

Bella's laughter filled the room and I committed it to memory. It was a fun and sweet sound.

"Well, driving either of my cars is out of the question then," she retorted.

"Perhaps you're right. I have a Volvo," I said and took a few steps back as she tried to get up from her bed.

"Bella, what are you doing?" I asked before I realized she was about to remove her skirt. I took a few steps back until my back met a large dresser.

_Fuck, if she takes that skirt off, there is no way I'll be able to hold back._

"Relax. I have shorts underneath." Bella giggled, shaking her head and letting the skirt hit the floor. I sucked in a deep breath as I looked at her incredibly long, creamy legs clad in what I would _not_ call shorts. They looked more like underwear. I closed my eyes, not realizing it was a big mistake to do so.

I opened my eyes and there she stood just inches from me. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to taste her one last time before I left. I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close.

I gave her a moment, but she wanted this, her eyes were a good way to see her desires. I pressed my lips onto hers urgently. She returned it with just as much longing as I had for her. I slipped my tongue through her parted lips and tasted her sweet mouth. She didn't fight as she had before; she allowed me to control and devour. I soon felt the need to breathe and pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I gasped and took another step back. "Umm, I should go." Her chest heaved and called for my attention—her nipples hard little peaks under her top. "I'll—um—see you in the morning," I said quickly and ran out of the room. As soon as I was in the elevator, I allowed myself to breathe again.

I couldn't believe I just walked away like that. However, I knew there was too much at risk for me to take her in that manner.

I was so close to giving in to her advances. I remembered the taste of her tongue and it left me hard. I shifted uncomfortably on the ride down to the lobby, cursing the fact that'd I'd need a cold shower once I made it to my apartment. I hummed and swept my tongue over my lips.

_Strange, she didn't taste like alcohol._


	9. Temptress Tuesday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Nine—Temptress Tuesday**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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Edward**

I shook off the thought. She probably grabbed some mints from the VIP room. Somehow, I made it home, despite the sexual fog. Every fiber of my body wanted to go back to Bella's apartment and have my way with her.

However, her sweet, tight little ass was drunk. As much as I wanted to fuck her senseless, it wasn't going to be tonight.

Memorable, I wanted our first time together to be unforgettable. Her being drunk would risk that she wouldn't remember. I didn't want that.

Passing my black leather couch and ignoring my flashing answering machine, I walked over to my living room window. I counted floors and windows to find what could be Bella's bedroom window. It was just across and a little lower than my living room window. I noticed that the dark curtains were open and the light was still on. I wondered for a moment if she passed out without finishing getting ready for bed.

I shouldn't have just left like that. She could've fallen or something, I should've put in her bed before leaving._ What if she forgot to lock the door? _I hated to think of her falling over and hitting that pretty little head of hers. I stomped down the sudden urge to go all protective on her ass and turned away from the window.

But before I could move way, I saw a figure in the window I'd been watching. It was her in nothing but a bra and those tiny shorts from earlier. I recognized her long hair and legs instantly, even with her back toward the window. I continued to watch, starting to feel like a teenage peeping tom.

I wondered if she was giving me a show on purpose. There seemed to be a little more sway in her hips, a seductive arch in her back. God she was beautiful. She shook her hair out, even taking the time to comb her fingers through it. I longed to feel the texture of it in my palm, tickling my chest as she descended along my torso.

I groaned when my cock twitched from my fantasies. From what I could tell, Bella walked toward her dresser drawer to grab something. For a few moments, she was no longer in view, and I wondered if I'd be able to see her from another room in my apartment.

Soon she stepped back into view. I exhaled deeply, still feeling like a damn perverted asshole for getting a hard-on watching a woman undress from across the street. _At least I'm not stroking myself. _I adjusted my pants, but refrained from providing myself some relief.

Wait. If I could see her, did that mean someone else could, too?

I watched as her hand went to the clasp of her bra on her back. Her back was still to the window, but I could she the long expanse of her naked back as she tossed the bra aside.

_Please turn around._

She didn't turn, but she put on what looked like an oversized white t-shirt. As she pulled the shirt over her torso, she turned and walked to her window. She reached up and yanked the curtains closed. Moments later, the window darkened.

What the hell was I doing? What was I going to do? I wanted her, and there was no doubt about that. However, was I really willing to settle to be a one-woman man? No - but for the first time in my life, I was willing to make plans for the rest of the week to be with one woman.

Tuesday we'd carpool, and I'd kiss her beautiful mouth before going into the office. We'd have a lunch date together, which would lead to heavy groping in the elevator or car. We'd head to the gym, where I'd spar with Bella and more kissing would ensue while she straddled my lap. Then there'd be the dinner followed by more fun with Bella, I'd consider settling for over clothes dry humping.

Wednesday would look pretty much like Tuesday, but with more under clothes groping. We'd have dinner with my parents and after that we could have a drink that would lead to fooling around back at her place.

Thursday would be like Tuesday and Wednesday, but we'd progress to oral sex. Mmm, the thought of her lips around me. _Would I be sick of her by then? No._

On Friday, after work, we'd go to dinner and dancing. Dancing with Bella could lead to going back to her place where I'd finally fuck her senseless.

Saturday we'd drive and hike with my family. Then, I'd take her against a tree and every available surface in our hotel room. Shower sex – yes!

Sunday we'd come home. I'd drop her off at her place, and try to forget Bella.

_Sounds like a plan. Then she'll be out of my system._

**Tuesday**

I was finishing getting ready when I heard someone at my door. Funny, it was very early. I had been contemplating if I should go see Bella to see if she remembered about car-pooling.

She probably didn't remember since she must've had at least six or seven margaritas last night. I hoped she didn't have a hang over. My guilt hit me at the thought.

I opened my apartment door and behind it was the woman I had thought about constantly for the past four days.

_Damn, I'm pathetic._

I looked at her and realized that her face was tinged pink. Her left heeled foot toed the wood flooring as she gave me a timid smile. She remembered something from last night, and I felt somewhat relieved that I wouldn't have to start all over again.

However, I was nervous that she might have realized that I'd tried to get her drunk so I'd take her to bed.

"Good morning," she mumbled, averting her eyes from mine. I wanted to touch her, stroke the small worry crease between her eyebrows.

"I take it you remembered about car pooling," I asked, gesturing to come in. She brushed past me, mumbling something under her breath that sounded like "something like that."

"What was that?" I asked, closing my door. Her back was to me, but I was aware of her attire. God she looked fucking incredible in black; the color contrasted against her ivory skin. Her skirt fit perfectly over the curves of her hip, ending just above the knee. The jacket was form fitted against her chest and hinted to the delectable treasure beneath.

_I want to taste her._

However, those thoughts left me when I saw Bella's tense stance. "Is there something wrong?" I closed the distance between us in two long strides. From behind her, I clasped her shoulder. She pulled away in an instant with a shake of her head.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "I made a complete ass out of myself yesterday at the club and now it's—" She stopped, turning to face me and handing me a newspaper.

I saw the section, and taking the Local Spotlight section from her scanned the front page. Big as life was a picture of me with Bella's legs wrapped around my waist at the club. The headline read:

_**Local Bachelor Stops a Teasing Temptress**_

I read the article and although they didn't print Bella by name, it was still awful. The article played up how we'd been together all night and called her the flavor of the night. I felt all the blood leave my face as I continued to read about some of my exploits for the past several months. Bella had woken up the morning after agreeing to being with me—to this.

_She's going to hate me now._

"Bella," I said, preparing myself to grovel if only to be able to still touch her. I threw the paper on my leather couch and turned to look at her.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I've ruined everything. If I hadn't gotten drunk and pulled that little stunt, we wouldn't even have made the paper. Now everyone is going to see this," Bella ranted, her eyes filling with tears.

"Bella, what are you talking about? Ruined what?" I asked, my hands taking her by the shoulders. I just couldn't stand watching her cry. I wanted to comfort her, so I pulled her into my arms.

"Edward, I made a fool of myself which hurts your company," she mumbled. "My clients are going to see this, and I have sex addicts. How do you think they'll react to this? Also, this is bad publicity for my project and oh God, your father."

She was worried about everything else and not about all the crap in the paper about me. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bella, I stopped you from it getting too far," I said hoping to ease her worries. "I wouldn't worry about the picture. I can barely see your face since the picture is somewhat grainy. Even if someone does, with your clients, you're smart. I'm sure that pretty little head of yours has a plan already. As for your project, the fact that you're helping people should override this it will all be just fine. So stop beating yourself up."

I was sure everything would work out just fine for her. However, I couldn't quell the guilt I felt. It was my fault. If I hadn't gotten her drunk, nothing would've happened.

"You think I'm pretty?" Bella asked with a sexy smirk.

I rolled my eyes and laughed at both the teasing tone and playful look in her eyes.

"You think I'm pretty— you think I'm sexy," Bella sang playfully. "Sorry, Sandra Bullock moment." Bella smiled, and I laughed as I pulled her close.

"Yes, you're pretty, smart, sexy as hell and selfless," I said, resting my forehead on hers. "You, Ms. Swan, are way out of my league."

Bella looked at me from her gorgeous eyes and smiled. "I don't care what the papers say, Edward. If you still want to, we can still try us out."

I smiled kissing her forehead. "That sounds great. Don't worry about my father, I'll talk to him." Bella nodded and reached up on her toes to press her lips on mine but only for a moment. Nowhere near long enough for my tastes.

"Now, I remember bits of pieces of what happened at the club. The ride home and for some reason car pooling, something about a Volvo, did I do anything else embarrassing?" Bella asked with a small timid smile.

_Should I tell her?_

"Depends on what you mean by embarrassing?" I smiled at the look of shock that overtook her face.

"Oh no, what did I do?"

"Don't worry about it," I said in a soothing tone. "The club thing was the worst of the night. I promise." It seemed she didn't believe me, her eyes narrowing. "We should get going."

Thankfully, she agreed, pressing her lips to mine one more time before leaving. After locking up, I held onto her hand as we waited for the elevator. I reveled in the warmth her small hand brought to mine. I pressed the down button outside of the elevator glancing at Bella. She looked beautiful, her long dark curls curtaining over her face. I was tempted to move her hair behind her shoulder, but the "ding" of the elevator caught my attention.

Leading Bella inside the elevator, I couldn't help but relive the memories of the previous evening. I remembered the feel of her lips against mine, her warm skin under my hands, and the heady taste of her mouth.

"Edward, can I please have your phone?" Bella asked as I released my grip on her hand. I looked at her in question as I pulled both of them out of my jacket pocket.

"I got you another SIM card for your phone already." Bella raised her hand to stop me from talking. "Don't ask. Just know that I could work miracles," she teased. She took what had been my digital black book, pulling out a small envelope from her jacket pocket. She installed the new SIM card and then proceeded to enter numbers into my phone.

"Edward, you're not the only one with a photographic memory," she said when I questioned her. "I'm just listing your family's numbers, local venues, your mechanic and me." She gave me a teasing wink and shrug.

"Come on, I'll lead the way," I indicated, taking her hand again.

Bella stopped short by the trunk of my silver Volvo. She cocked her head looking at the car beside it, my new Aston Martin. "Wow that is a sexy car." She looked at it with an appreciative eye, and again I wondered if the car parked by her Ferrano was hers. If so, she had fan-fucking-fantastic taste.

"Thanks," I said, releasing her hand so I could open the passenger car door for her. I closed her door and walked to the driver's side. After backing out, I watched her from the corner of my eye.

I noticed that she bit into the corner of her bottom lip when she concentrated. She did it often while she worked, too. Suddenly, her pink tongue swept across her lips, making them wet and tantalizing. I couldn't suppress the groan that escaped me. Then she turned to look at me, cocking an eyebrow, winking.

"You're too easy, Edward."

"What does that mean?" I asked curiously.

"It means that I can entice a reaction out of you with ease." Bella laughed shaking her head when I glared. She knew I was watching her, and she seemed to have the advantage.

Well, two can play this little game.

I came to a stop at a red light, and couldn't help but think what a perfect timing it was. I leaned over my center console, brushing her hair over her shoulder exposing her neck. I leaned in closer and whispered in her ear.

"If I remember correctly, I didn't have to do anything to entice a reaction from you last night." I lightly sucked on the spot behind her ear, earning a soft moan. Damn, that was one hot little sound.

I straightened up, stepping on the gas and continuing to work. Bella placed my phone on the center console but didn't respond. I chanced a glance at her, but she was just staring out of the window into the gray-clouded sky.

"I thought I didn't do anything," Bella whispered, her voice a soft sensual whisper.

"You didn't do anything bad, Bella, relax." I shrugged my shoulders, hoping to dispel her sullen mood.

"Then tell me, after that disastrous attempt at dancing, what happened?" Bella asked, returning her penetrating brown eyes to mine.

"What do you remember?" I decided I might as well be honest with her, honesty with her worked well before.

"As I said, I remember bits and pieces. Umm, the dance; you were a little jealous," Bella teased and grinned. "I remember Jasper and Emmett leaving the club with Alice and Rosalie over their shoulders. Then again, the picture in the paper reminded me that I initiated that. Sorry by the way."

"Nothing to apologize for. I liked it."

"Let's see, I remember a little of the ride over back to my place. For some reason I remember that I was about to flash the guard at my building but I didn't, thankfully. Then everything else seems like a blur."Bella said then turned to look at me.

"Well, I asked if you needed help up to your apartment since it seemed you were a little wobbly on your feet, and you said yes. So I helped you out of your car, led you to the elevator and—"

"Oh, God, I remember," she groaned. "I'm sorry, Edward, I was so aggressive. That's not like me. You must think I'm a freak now." Bella closed her eyes, hiding her face with her hands.

"It's fine, you were under the influence," I reassured her. I didn't like seeing her upset over something like this. It was my fault anyway.

"But I uh, oh God, I grabbed your ass and attacked you," Bella mumbled from behind her hands as I pulled into the parking structure of office building.

I turned off my car. "Bella, do you remember me complaining?" With that said, I could see Bella relax in her seat. She looked up at me, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"You left and didn't try," she said softly, surprise and awe in her voice and eyes. I nodded as she leaned closer, the feel of her breath swept across my lips. My breathing hitched, the overwhelming need to touch her surprising me. I had never wanted someone so much before.

Her lips pressed onto mine, her tongue sweeping across my lower lip. My lips parted, taking her tongue into my mouth. My eyes rolled and closed, allowing my senses to become intoxicated by her taste, scent, and the feel of her tongue against mine.

A beeping sound came from Bella's jacket. _Damn stupid bell!_ I moaned and pulled away.

"Sorry that's my alarm, we have ten minutes until work starts." I went to help her out of the car, but couldn't help myself.

I closed her door and pressed her against it. One of my arms settled beside her shoulder, resting against the car, the other on her hip. She looked up at me, her eyes bright, her lip between her teeth. I leaned in to kiss her but she shook her head.

"I told you we have to remain professional while we're at work," Bella reminded me.

"We have eight minutes, love," I whispered, pressing my lips against hers softly. She returned it with fervor but before I could deepen it, I felt her hand on my chest.

"It takes five minutes to ride the elevator up, Edward. We should go," she said smiling before pressing her lips against mine briefly. I rolled my eyes but pulled away with reluctance. "Here's your phone." Bella handed me my phone as we made our way to the elevators. I looked through the directory and smiled when I saw her entry.

**Bella Swan**

**Home No. 555-3889**

**Cell Phone No. 503-4493**

**Rating: Unforgettable**

_She is a confident little vixen, _I thought as I slipped my phone in my jacket, but somehow I felt that she might be just that—unforgettable.

I would have to wait to analyze that realization later. It seemed I couldn't form a coherent thought in her presence.

We entered the empty elevator, and I couldn't help myself but stand as close to her as possible. Side by side, mere inches apart I looked at Bella from the corner of my eye and noticed she was doing the same—watching me. She smirked, biting her lower lip before sweeping her tongue across it.

I whispered, "Fuck." She laughed, the little minx.

We stopped a few times on the way up to the twenty-seventh floor. The elevator started to fill, and Bella and I had to retreat to very back of the elevator in the corner. Pressed against one another I looked down at her, her eyes roaming down my body. She returned her eyes to my face after her survey, smirking.

Well, if she could look at me like that, why couldn't I? My eyes roamed over her face, noticing a smattering of freckles at the bridge of her nose. My gaze followed the long curve of her neck to the v-neck sweater under her jacket, showing off the swell of her breasts. I eye-fucked the tantalizing curves, from her hips to the silkiness of her legs before returning my eyes to hers.

"Why don't you take another look before we have to get off," Bella said with a laugh. I took her advice, following all her curves as she continued laughing softly. I loved the movement of her breasts as she continued to chuckle.

_Fuck, it's going to be a long day._

We made it to our offices without further incidents or eye fucking except when she walked ahead of me, and I couldn't help admiring her ass. I asked if she would like to have lunch at the deli across the street before settling into my office. She happily agreed to my invitation.

The rest of the morning went by slowly. We had various meetings with several clients and several calls. Just before lunch, while I was busy going over Bella's project plans there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called out.

"Sorry, Ethan from dry cleaning is here," Bella said, allowing Ethan, a regular, into my office. She led him to the closet after he greeted me as usual with a nod. I couldn't help but watch her from the corner of my eyes, as I looked over some documents. She waited for Ethan to finish up, avoiding my gaze. She had been doing that all day in hopes of remaining professional while we worked.

I must say, it made the morning go easier without me having to adjust myself every few minutes. Yet, I was a little upset that she had such will power, considering I wanted to grab her and have my way with her on my desk. If it wasn't for her strength, I was sure she'd be writhing beneath me as we awaited my next appointment.

Ethan gathered everything and smiled at Bella before handing her a card. Her eyes widened, surprised, but she took it. He gestured his head toward the door as he wanted some privacy with her.

_I don't think so._

"Bella, can you please stay. We need to go over something concerning your project?" I asked without looking at her, my eyes on the paperwork on my desk. However, I watched from the corner of my eye as Ethan scowled but mouthed "call me" before leaving. Bella sighed before taking a chair in front of me.

"I hope you don't think that was my fault," her tone firm. I looked up at her and smirked.

"Nope, you're just too tempting for your own good." I smiled, which she returned. "Are you ready for lunch?"

"Give me five minutes then meet me by my desk. I have a few things to do before I can go," Bella said as she rose to her feet.

"Sounds great," I said.

I left my office five minutes later, expecting to see Bella at her desk. She was there but not alone. My father stood beside her, his arms folded across his chest. He turned his gaze on me. He looked angry, his lips pursed into a thin line and there was a dark look in his bright blue eyes.

_Shit I forgot to talk him before I started my day._

"Carlisle."

"Edward," he said. "Bella has kindly arranged for us to meet after lunch today with the two of you. I'll see you then." Carlisle turned and left Bella and me a bit worried.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Bella said warily. "He insisted on meeting with the both of us."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, love. Let's go to lunch," I said smiling.

I was positive I knew why my father wanted to meet with us. He must've seen us in the paper and he would give Bella and me a lecture. I have had pictures taken with plenty of women that made the papers. However, not like our picture, and none of them were employees.

Bella closed a document on her computer, and grabbed her purse before walking toward me. Although, it looked more as if she was stalking, ready to pounce at any moment.

It was crazy that I was more than willing to be her prey.

"I'm ready." She smiled, brushing past me and walking down the hallway to the elevator. I chose to stay a few steps behind her to enjoy the view.

"Take a picture, handsome. It would last longer." Bella laughed softly, but I noticed the little sway in her hips.

_Fucking tease._

"A picture may last longer, but the real thing is much better," I whispered while leaning in closer, her ear a breath away from my lips. Bella shivered as my lips pressed the skin along her neck.

"Edward," Bella said in a warning tone. Right, we had to remain professional. That lasted about thirty seconds before I grabbed her hand to pull her closer. I took in the scent of her neck and her hair, both alluring and mouth-watering.

"Edward," Bella whined but pulled me closer. I smiled against the skin of her neck, happy to have some effect on her. "We're almost at the lobby." I pulled away, taking a few steps away from her. Why couldn't I control myself around her?

The elevator doors opened to the building's lobby. We walked out on the street into surprisingly warm weather for mid September. I took Bella's hand and led her across the busy street to the deli called Martha's Place with a large green awning in front with just a few tables outside for patrons and a few inside. We ordered our soup and sandwiches and waited for our number's announcement.

I found an empty table for two and pulled out a chair for Bella but she shook her head. "What's the matter?"

"You bought lunch last time," she said in a clipped tone. "I'm not letting you this time. Take a seat and I will grab our order." She rolled her eyes, turning back to the counter to await our food. I grabbed her hand before she was too far for me to reach.

"Bella," I said, my tone matching hers. Her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed. Fuck, she looked hot when she was pissed. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"No. I don't like others spending money on me." She crossed her arms over her chest, still glaring at me. I couldn't help but look at her chest for a moment before returning her glare with one of my own.

"Well Ms. Swan, be prepared to be disappointed. I will do what I please and buy you what I please." I shrugged my shoulders and walked past her as they called our order number. I paid, making sure she had her eyes on me the whole time.

Bella scowled and took her seat at the small square table. I noticed her take out her purse and grab her checkbook as I made my way toward our table. If she thought for one moment that she was going to hand me a check to cover her lunch, she was very much mistaken. I'd be willing to tear it if I had to. How could she be so stubborn?

I sat the tray, laden with food, on the table and took my seat. Bella looked over her shoulder at the high counter and looked thoughtful. "Excuse me, Edward, for a moment." I looked at her in question as she got up and proceeded to the high counter to talk with the owner Martha.

They talked for a few minutes before she handed Martha a check. Martha's eyes opened wide looking at the check and thanked Bella several times.

Bella offered her a smile and took the chair across from me.

"What was that about?" I asked as Bella took a sip of her chicken soup.

"Oh, I noticed on that sign by the register that they take donations to help for food for the homeless, and I wanted to make a donation." Bella shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. I shook my head.

"So it had nothing to do with you showing off," I said. Her lovely eyes snapped to mine, and she was pissed again.

"If you think for one moment that I would use a fucking charity as a way to one you up, this lunch ends now."

"I'm sorry. I just never met someone like you, except maybe my pseudo parents." She nodded and turned her attention back to her food, looking somewhat distant.

She was selfless and very observant. I'd been coming here for years and never noticed the tattered sign. We ate for several minutes in comfortable silence, stealing glances at each other. After a while, we started discussing some of the projects that I have worked on personally. I found that she knew of all of them but had not had a chance to visit them.

"So should we be worried about your father when we get back?" Bella asked wiping her lips with a napkin before pushing her empty soup bowl away.

"Carlisle is mostly harmless," I indicated, taking a sip of my ice tea. "We'll just tell him we got caught up in the moment or something."

"Sorry, once again," Bella mumbled. I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, it's fine. It's my fault anyway," I said, trying to ensure her everything was all right.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just that I kept giving you drinks."

"Edward you may have been my supplier, but I did drink them," Bella reminded me. She looked a bit anxious all of the sudden.

"I know. I'm sure it will be fine. Now, we should probably talk about that kiss in the elevator or your hallway or the one in the bedroom." I gave her smirk to which she rolled her eyes.

"What kisses?" She feigned ignorance.

"You said you remembered most of the night?" I stated like a question.

"Maybe," she said coyly, her eyes trapping me in her hypnotic stare. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"After I left last night, I realized that you didn't taste like alcohol. I thought it was strange."

Bella's eyes widened and she looked thoughtful for a moment. "I have a confession to make, Edward."

"Okay," I said lowly. This didn't sound good.

"There's a real good chance you'll really be angry with me." My eyes narrowed but offered her no promises. "After my second drink, they were all non-alcoholic." Bella averted her eyes and looked at her hands on her lap. "I was never drunk."

I looked at her stunned. Why would someone pretend to be drunk? Why would she feel the need to pretend to drink and do some of the things she did last night?

"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "It's just that I needed to make sure you're a good person underneath all the cockiness. I didn't want to risk going out with a man that would get a woman drunk just to take advantage of her."

"You were testing me?" I asked slightly appalled. Did I really warrant a test?

Bella nodded. "I just had to be sure."

The silence that hung between us was thick and held a bit of an edge to it. I was angry, even hurt that she found it necessary to test me. Had I passed?

"Wait a minute," I said, going through the evening in my mind. "The dance was real, the kisses were all you. Even the way you attacked me in the elevator and put your hand in my back pocket. It was all you, wasn't it?"

"Yes. And even though I threw myself at you, you chose to be a gentleman." Her words were soft, teasing in some way, too.

"Well damn, if I'd have known that I would've tried to get under your skirt last night," I said seriously. _Seriously, I would have._

Bella started laughing. "Well, I guess some things never change," she said, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "So you're not mad?" I watched as she raised a creamy, soft hand to tuck some errant strands behind her ear. I wanted to touch her, feel all the silky strands in the palm of my hand.

"No," I said thoughtfully. "I'm a little disappointed that I warranted you to do such a thing. I guess I understand why though."

She smiled and reached across the table to curl her fingers around my neck. With a little wink, she placed her soft lips over mine. She tasted like nothing I've ever had before. She was decadent, sinful and spicy.

"Thank you," she murmured, nipping at the corner of my mouth. God, I wanted to devour her right where she sat.

I needed to have her soon, or I'd lose my mind. "Since you know everything about last night and I passed your test, I guess this is a good time to remind you that you owe me one." I cocked an eyebrow, daring her to argue with me. She knew she owed me for lying.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up." She rolled her eyes with a hint of a mischievous smile. She was about to say something else, but we were interrupted when someone stood beside Bella and cleared his throat.

She looked up at the dark haired man who appeared to be in his mid thirties. Between the scowl on his face and nervous fidgeting, he set up all kinds of alarms. Who the fuck was this guy?

"Hello, there Daniel." She greeted the stranger in a tone that I'd never heard before. It was demanding, very curt and formal. Daniel licked his lips staring at Bella's cleavage as his eyes roamed down to her legs. I couldn't blame the man, but fuck, I was sitting right beside her. Didn't we give off that "couple" vibe? I intently shook the thought away, because I wasn't looking for a relationship.

"Daniel," Bella scolded, her voice going up an octave. "Daniel, bring your eyes up here." She gestured with two fingers and pointed at her eyes, causing Daniel's eyes to snap to hers. "Now, how can I help you Daniel?" She almost sounded like she was talking to a child. The man shifted from one foot to the other, but kept eye contact.

"I saw you sitting here, and I thought I'd confirm my appointment for tonight?"

I couldn't help but take in his appearance. It was obvious that he was a patient of hers, and I did not like the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off her chest or legs. Though I had little interest in forming a relationship with Bella, I felt protective of her. Well, that and I wanted to be the first to have a taste of her.

"Yes, we have an appointment at eight this evening," she said simply. "However, I've warned you before, if I caught you following me again that I would have to recommend you to someone else." Her voice was firm as she silently showed Daniel to look in her eyes again with two fingers. He followed her before? _Oh hell no._

"It's not like that Dr. Swan," Daniel mumbled feebly. "I happen to like this place to have lunch. I'm sorry to bother your date." I couldn't help but feel that he was lying and heard a tinge of an edge to the end of his statement.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Daniel," Bella said and turned toward me. "This is my boss Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Daniel Mitchell." I gave a curt nod, which he returned, stiffly.

"Now Daniel, I need for you to go over the steps again that I gave you and don't forget your journal tonight," Bella reminded him with a hint of finality in her tone.

"I won't forget my journal. You'll be proud of me. I only relapsed seven times since Thursday." Daniel grinned proudly.

Bella shook her head. "This is hardly the place to discuss your relapses, but yes, it is much better in comparison to your last session," Bella indicated before shaking her head again. "I will see you later tonight, Daniel." Daniel nodded and walked away, his shoulders slumped.

Bella returned her attention back to me. "I'm sorry about that, Edward. Occupational hazard unfortunately."

"A patient?" I stated like a question.

"Yes," she replied, looking me square in the eyes. "Before that pretty little head of yours asks me about him, I can't discuss my patients."

I scowled, averting my eyes. I didn't like the idea that a man who couldn't take his eyes off her, would be in her apartment—alone. Her tone implied she did not intend to discuss the subject further so I dropped it – for the moment. She would be sorely mistaken if she thought I'd let this go.

"Now, where were we before we were interrupted?" I asked in hopes of bringing up the debt she owed me again.

"I honestly don't remember." Bella averted her eyes, feigning again. She laughed softly when she saw my determination. "So what are my betrayal and your nice guy attitude going to cost me?" She teased me, and I couldn't help but love it.

"Hmm, let's see… How about a late dinner tonight at your place?" I asked looking at her to gauge her reaction. It would be the perfect opportunity to ensure her safety. And well, get into her pants.

"That's it?" Bella scoffed, giving me a lavish smirk, which had me hard in a second. "I had something much better in mind, but maybe some other time. So bring dinner over to my place tonight after nine."

"Wait, now you piqued my interest. What do you mean you had something better in mind?"

Bella's laughter filled my ears as color flushed her beautiful complexion. "Wouldn't you love to know what I was thinking?"

"Yes," I urged. The little vixen loved to torture me. Since when had I become such a masochist?

Bella leaned in to whisper in my ear, placing her hand at the nape of my neck. Her fingernails scraped there for a few seconds. Her nimble fingers and the gentle sting of her nails would feel amazing on my back as I pounded into her. I couldn't hold back the small groan that escaped me as I fantasized. The teasing little half-smile she wore, led me to believe she knew exactly what I was thinking.

"I was thinking I would finish that dance for you." Bella pulled away to see my reaction with a wide grin.

Dance for me.

Fuck, yes please.

I shifted in my chair, adjusting myself discreetly. Though the fact that her smile widened further, indicated that she knew what I was doing. I gave a small smile and shrugged. All the while, I was trying to figure out if she was just fucking with me or not. She looked very serious.

"Any chance I can rescind my previous offer?"

"No, sorry, too late." Bella gave me a wink as she looked at her PDA. "We should get going. We have to meet your father in twenty minutes." I nodded and grabbed our tray to throw away our trash. I grumbled a bit since I wasn't going to get a lap dance—I mean dance.

Bella's cell phone jingled in her jacket and she answered it still sitting at the table. "Sorry Edward, I have to take this," Bella indicated covering the mouthpiece. I nodded in response.

"Julie, I'm so glad you returned my call," Bella said to whomever was on the phone with her. I couldn't help but listen in on the one-sided conversation. "Did he see the paper? No, it's in the Local Spotlight section. Just make sure he doesn't see it. How's he doing? I know Julie. He's just stubborn, that alone wouldn't allow him to move on. We both know that. I have to be going, my lunch hour is almost over. We'll talk about that later. Can you tell him I called and that I love him? Thank you Julie."

Bella hung up and looked up at me. She knew I had been listening, it was hard to avoid when she was so close. "Sorry again. Let's go," Bella indicated with a smile but it did not reach her eyes.

"Are you all right?" I asked as we made our way down the street. I took her hand again crossing the busy street.

"It's nothing," she said softly. "I just didn't want him to see the paper."

"Him?" I asked, curious. Bella looked away, making it clear she didn't want to talk about it. This led me think that she may be involved with someone. However, she didn't seem the type. She chose to start seeing me, why would she if she had someone else?

"My brother, Jordan," Bella whispered as we entered the lobby. I exhaled loudly, unable to keep the relief from my expression.

I led her to the elevator filled with people, so I was unable to ask her anything further. She had mentioned that her parents had died before, but she never mentioned that she had a brother. Why did she not want her brother to see the article? Maybe he was overprotective of her. I was, when Jasper and Alice started dating. It would make sense that Bella didn't want her brother to see her like that.

We made it back to our offices and my father was going to be meeting with us in another ten minutes. I asked Bella to join me in my office until he got here. She sat in a chair in front of my desk, crossing her lovely legs. I couldn't help looking at them.

"Edward," she hissed, her tone filled with warning. "I'm starting to think you have a one track mind." I shrugged my shoulders and I fucking blushed. She brought out so many new emotions that I had never felt before toward another woman.

_It scares the fuck out of me._

"So now that I know that little dance at the club was set up, what are we going to tell my father?" I asked cocking an eyebrow in her direction.

"I don't want to lie to him, so the truth is fine with me. I'm only worried that he will terminate my employment here, and I will lose my chance to further my project."

I leaned forward and took her hand, placing it on my desk. "No matter what he says, I will make sure that your project will become a reality," I said with such conviction, she smiled at me, her eyes brightening with gratitude.

And I meant it. No matter what happened between us, I'd make sure her project would continue. Her project wouldn't bring our company any revenue but it was for a good cause.

There was a knock at my door and I called out for Carlisle to enter. He looked composed as he exchanged glances with Bella and me. He took a seat beside her, passing another curious glance toward her. He ran his hand through his hair, a habit I picked up from him. I wasn't sure why, but he seemed nervous.

He took a moment to adjust his tie before meeting my eyes. "I know that you are two consenting adults, but I would rather you kept your public acts of affection out of this office and out of the newspaper," Carlisle stated.

"Carlisle, it's just that Bella—" I started to explain but he interrupted.

"Spare me the details. I'm just asking for you two not get caught up in the moment here in the office and try to be more discreet while out in public," Carlisle clarified further. I nodded in response.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle. It was mostly my fault, not Edward's," Bella said while trying to maintain eye contact with him.

"Bella it was the both of us, love. We're both responsible," I said, looking at her. I noticed that Carlisle tensed and smiled but he quickly composed himself. Carlisle looked at Bella cocking an eyebrow, she shook her head and he responded by doing the same.

_What is that about?_

For a moment, Carlisle looked rather smug before he relaxed and asked about Bella's project and where we were on it. After a few minutes, he confirmed dinner reservations for tomorrow night.

"Carlisle, can you please tell Esme, Bella will be joining us for dinner also," I said with a smile. I noticed Carlisle's eyes widen as did his smile. I had no idea what was going on with him.

He excused himself, and I returned my attention to Bella.

"See not so bad. At least he didn't ask for details," I said to Bella, who rolled her eyes.

"Okay, your schedule is cleared for the rest of the day. You have time to go over all the projects you have. Also, tomorrow, you have a lunch meeting with Phil Knight. You need to prepare for that too," Bella said as she went over my schedule on her Blackberry.

"Great. So are we sparring again today?" I asked, innocently. I hoped she'd give me a chance to get her back on the mat again. I'd even consider allowing her to pin me again, anything to have that sweet body of hers all over mine.

"Sure, but I have to cut it short. I have to get home for my session."

I nodded and Bella left my office. The remainder of the day I spent working on her project and Knight's apartment complex. At three in the afternoon, she brought me my tea. I invited her to stay for a while going over her project and a few others. She'd answer phone calls when needed, but we spent the rest of the day getting everything ready for tomorrow's lunch meeting.

When the workday was over, we left the office for the day. The drive to her apartment building was comfortable. We spent the time playing twenty questions. I learned a little about her parents and about the time she spent in California for school. She admitted that she was a bit of a geek while in high school, and I told her that I was a loner back then. She was also clumsy so she took dance lessons to help with her balance. I finally asked why she decided to take jujitsu.

"In college I was mugged. Nothing bad happened except that the he punched me hard enough to knock me out cold. I was lucky, because someone saw what was happening. It could've been a lot worse."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said with sincerity. How could someone even think of laying a hand on her in that manner?

She asked questions that pertained to my family and my childhood, for which I was thankful. I didn't want her to ask about my past relationships. However, I was curious about hers. Did she only do serious relationships? If she never experienced a one-night stand, would she make a big deal after I moved onto another?

I just couldn't bring myself to ask her about her past relationships, because it seemed too personal. I also didn't think I could stand her talking about a past love.

"Can you tell me something about your brother?" I asked curious to her only tie to immediate family.

"He can't walk," Bella whispered, averting her eyes to look anywhere but at me. I didn't press any further. It was obvious she wasn't ready to talk about him.

We made it to her apartment building. She agreed to meet in the gym in twenty minutes. Shortly after, I pulled into my building and got ready at warp speed. I was eager to see her again, namely the tiny shorts she wore while working out.

I made it to the gym with a few minutes to spare. I found Bella easily, dressed in a black spaghetti strapped top that exposed the swell of her breasts and her torso. My eyes took another trip down her gorgeous body, and I noticed her matching skirt's hem was high on her thigh. I became aware of her tense posture as she looked at someone nearby. That's when I saw the asshole beside her in what should be my treadmill.

She seemed to be ignoring him, until he placed a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away and glared at him for a moment then shook her head to something he said. He continued to talk to her, despite the cold shoulder she gave him.

I guess it was time I intervened.

She hadn't noticed me yet, so when I walked behind her and grabbed her waist, she yelped, "Edward!" She slapped my arm as I pulled her off the treadmill. "I could've fallen. Now put me down."

"There are no other treadmills for me to use, can I use yours?" I laughed as she continued to squirm in my grip, all those soft parts of her pressed ever so nicely against me. I had no idea she fit so perfectly.

"No, I need another fifteen minutes to get my heart going." She pouted, melting against me, either giving up or giving in.

"I can give your heart a good workout, love." I smirked, turning her so she would face me. She was trying really hard not to smile, but I could see the hint of one. I set her on her feet wanting to palm her ass. However, I knew she'd probably knee me.

"I'm sure you can," she said softly. "But not right now. Scoot so I can finish my run."

"No," I said setting the machine up. "We can finish it together,"

"We can't share a machine."

I rolled my eyes, and grabbed her again. She protested weakly for a moment. I set her back on the treadmill, and I stood behind her. I started the machine and we kept a perfect steady pace to avoid colliding into each other.

"See? I told you we can share. I must admit, I like this method better," I said, looking at her terrific ass.

"I bet," she huffed with a roll of her eyes. Occasionally, I would place my hands on her hips, and she'd swat them away with a laugh. After forty minutes, both of us covered in sheen of sweat, the machine started to slow.

I couldn't take it any longer, watching her was making jogging painful. I was desperate for a taste of her lips again. I stepped off the machine, grabbing her hand to pull her to the room we used for sparring.

"Why are you in a hurry?" Bella asked as I opened the door for her. I made sure the room was empty, closing and locking the door behind us. Without much of a warning, I pulled her around until her back was against the door.

"I have to kiss you again, Bella," I murmured as I bent down to graze my lips along her jaw. "I've been thinking about putting my mouth on you all day." Her breathing hitched as I laid my hand on her cheek, the other against the door just above her head. I continued to tease her, looking for the little hint of her approval. She shivered deliciously as my lips and teeth teased her ear. She looked up at me to give me a small nod. My thumb caressed her lips for a moment, the warmth and softness there ignited my blood further. I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers lightly.

Our lips met softly twice before her lips parted slightly, and I took advantage of it. I slipped my tongue inside and a little thrust of her tongue had me groaning out loud. Bella started to pull away to breathe, sucking on my tongue for a second longer. I groaned as she pulled away completely.

She smiled and ducked out from under me, pulling out the mats. I shook my head and adjusted myself before helping her. We started as we usually had with light punches and slaps but we both wanted to test kicking techniques. I was impressed with her roundhouse kick. She could put a lot a force behind it. I had already removed my shirt and Bella's body was glistening with sweat.

_I want to lick her. _

I blocked a straight punch, then she tried to counter with a side kick, but I caught her leg and held it up.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Bella questioned trying to maintain her balance on one leg.

"Nothing." I feigned ignorance with a crooked smile.

"Let go, you're going to make me fall."

"Good, you deserve it for lying last night."

"I never actually said I was drunk. So I didn't lie." She scowled, clearly getting riled up. Good.

"Technicality." I lifted her leg higher, and her eyes widened as she struggled to stay balanced. I managed to her get her leg high above my head and I was impressed and turned on.

_Damn she's flexible. _

Too transfixed on her leg, I failed to notice the punch to my gut. She didn't hold back either as I hunched over with a grunt. Her foot fell from my hands, and she tackled me. She had me in a scarf hold with her chest resting just under my chin in seconds. I couldn't help but realize how close her beautiful chest was to my mouth.

"That was not very nice of you," Bella said tightening her hold on my head. Was it wrong that I found the fact that she could fight me completely erotic?

"What you did was not very nice of you either," I countered. She loosened her hold on me, enough so that I could shift her to lay on top of me.

"I have heard and read so many bad things about you," she said softly. "I didn't want to risk it. It was the only way I could think of."

"I want you," I said firmly, cradling her cheek. "I can't say that I won't break your heart, but I can tell you that I want to see where this can lead." I wasn't sure what prompted me to say it, but it felt as if a weight lifted when I had.

"You want me?" Bella asked smiling and pressed her body against mine more fully. My hands traveled up her thighs, earning a little smile.

"Yes," I answered, kissing the tip of her nose.

"How bad?"

"I'd pretty much do anything you'd ask me to." My breathing became erratic as she moved her hips slightly. I groaned, lifting my hips to meet hers harder.

Bella looked thoughtful for moment before she gave into whatever battle she had in her mind. She pressed her lips against mine hard and perfectly. I groaned as my hands gripped her thighs moving them higher. Her tongue delved into my mouth, with a seductive little purr in her throat. We kissed like this for what seemed like hours with my hands roaming up and down her thighs. Our hips moved together, creating fucking amazing friction.

A fucking beeping came from her cell phone, causing Bella to pull away all too soon. "So are we still up for dinner at my place?" Bella asked and I just nodded unable to talk coherently.

"I have to go. I'll see you around nine, bring Chinese please." Bella got off me and straightened her skirt, only reminding me of what I wanted to get my hands on. I got to my feet and pulled her close to my chest.

"Are you sure that Daniel guy is someone that won't hurt you?"

"I've been seeing Daniel for the past few weeks. He's harmless," Bella stated placing her hands on my chest.

"All right, as long as you're sure. I'll see you at nine." I leaned in for another lust-inducing kiss, before I pulled away. "Any chance I can still get that dance tonight?" I asked moving my eyebrows suggestively.

Bella pushed me away with a shake of her head. She walked toward the exit, each step a mesmerizing sway of her hips. She stopped at the door and gave me this fuck hot look over her shoulder.

She smirked for a moment. "Yes."


	10. Wanking Wednesday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Ten—Wanking Wednesday**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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Bella**

_I had to get out of here before I jumped his fucking bones._

I quickly walked toward the door, unlocking it before turning to look at him. "Yes," I said before walking out into the hallway. I didn't bother waiting for his reaction, I was sure it would make me want to take him right there on the floor.

I turned and left before my body could continue betraying me. I knew that Edward and I would have sex, but I also knew that I had to be strong. I had to hold out longer if I planned on breaking his habits. However, things were getting complicated. For some reason, I found myself not being able to lie to him. I answered in half-truths or the actual truth. I couldn't believe I told him about not being drunk. I felt at the time, since he noticed I didn't taste like alcohol, that the truth would be better. It worked, though he did admit that if he knew, he would've tried getting under my skirt.

_Oh well, it's some progress._

I made it to my apartment and took a cool shower to help soothe my over-heated body. I did something I usually tried to avoid: I pleasured myself to the thought of Edward's lust filled gaze, his lips on my neck. Wishing it was his fingers brought me over the edge. I knew I had to do this or else there was no way I would make it through a night with him without fucking him. It was still too soon for that.

I dressed, waiting for my patient Daniel. He was something else; a sex addict. He'd fuck anything with a pair of legs. He was referred to me after several failed attempts at group therapy. I found myself a comfortable pair of yoga pants, tank top and matching jacket. My patients felt more at ease with me when I dressed more casually. Also I had to watch what I wore around Daniel. I didn't need him distracted with any exposed skin.

Daniel had suffered from sex addiction for the past five years. He was the tall, dark and handsome type and had no trouble with women. The only problem was that even though commitment never was an issue, infidelity was. He cheated on his first wife seventeen times, all different women. He was divorced, for less than a year and it hadn't gotten any easier.

Lately, he had become infatuated with me. Even though I was sure that I was nothing more than another pair of legs to him, it still unnerved me. I had dealt with sex addicts before but never to his extreme. He presented a challenge, and I wanted to succeed for his sake. Sex addiction can lead to unhealthy choices, like prostitution, drugs, and STD's. Extreme cases could lead to sexual assault. I needed to help him. To be on the safe side, I would keep my bottle of mace beside me at every session.

**Edward**

I made it home about ten minutes later after Bella left the gym. I was accosted before leaving by a cute blonde, but I ignored her. Bella was the only one I wanted to sate my thirst, and it wouldn't be fair to the blonde if all I thought about was Bella instead of her.

I stepped in the shower and hissed when the cold water hit my lower region.

_Fuck._

I toweled off several minutes later and changed. I pulled on a pair of boxers and jeans before I checked the time. It was twenty minutes after eight o'clock, and I knew Bella would be with her patient. My instincts kicked in, sending me warning signals that something with that Daniel guy was not right.

I threw on a t-shirt and ordered dinner around the corner. By the time I reached Bella's apartment, it was fifteen minutes before nine pm. I paused with my hand over the door, thinking that she might get angry if I interrupted. I let my arm fall and decided to wait another ten minutes.

That went all out the window when I heard Bella scream from inside. "Daniel, get off of me!" I pounded on the door and it flung opened with ease. I dropped the bags I carried and ran toward the sound of Bella's voice. Daniel flew away from Bella as she kicked him square in the chest.

"Bella!" I grabbed Daniel from the ground as he struggled in my grip in his attempt to get to Bella. I punched his jaw and he hit the floor. I lunged for him again.

"Edward! Stop!" Bella cried out. I turned and saw the fear evident in her eyes. Of course she was scared, she was about to be attacked by the piece of fucking shit on the floor. However, she surprised me when her face softened when she heard the shithead starting to sob. Bella went to his side and completely ignored me.

_What the fuck?_

"I'm sorry, Ms. Swan. I never meant to hurt you. You're j-just so fucking b-beautiful. I couldn't control…myself." He gasped in between words.

"Daniel, you know what needs to happen next right?" Bella whispered, trying to help him up on his feet. I clenched my fists wanting to grab Bella and just take her away from him. I could see how Daniel was struggling to keep his hands off her, his hands clenched tightly around his thighs.

"I have to start seeing someone else," Daniel grumbled.

"Maybe, maybe not, I might consider supervised sessions instead. But for now I need you to talk to a colleague of mine, he may be able to help you with medication." Daniel nodded looking anywhere but at me.

Bella walked away from him, and I noticed he didn't take his eyes off her ass.

"Hey buddy, keep your eyes off of her fucking body or I'll give you another bruise across your other cheek," I growled, standing in between them. Bella placed her hand on my back.

"Edward," she said firmly, her tone warning me. "I'm fine. He won't try anything else again." I nodded, but I did not move from my position so I could keep him from eye-fucking her again.

She searched for something in a drawer. When she found it, she made her way back to us. She was about to step around me, but I stopped her and held out my hand. She huffed but handed me what looked like a business card. I took a few steps forward toward Daniel as he took a step back. I held out my hand with the card, raising the other to show that I wasn't about to hit him again. I wanted to, though.

"Take it and get out of here, now," I snarled. Daniel took a step forward, snatched the card from my hand and ran out the door, closing it behind him.

"That wasn't really necessary," she said as she turned to face me. "I can take—"

I cut her off immediately. "Take care of yourself, right? The man was on top of you!" I snapped.

"Yes, but I managed to kick him off me. If you hadn't had stepped in I would've used mace on him if he tried to come near me again."

I laughed darkly. "A man was, in all likelihood, going to rape you and you're upset with me?" I asked, questioning her sanity.

"It would've never gotten that far. I've dealt with this kind of thing before. Why do you think I keep up with my jujitsu training?"

"What?" I clenched my fists and closed my eyes in anger. "You had had this kind of shit happen to you before?"

"I'm fine. So, what's for dinner?"

Bella smiled sweetly, changing the subject and letting me know that the discussion was over. I rolled my eyes and stalked to the bags that I left by the door. I grabbed them and sat the bags on the coffee table sitting in front of a large dark brown leather couch. I sat down on the floor beside the table and she sat beside me taking out boxes and opening them to see what I ordered.

I pretty much ordered one of everything, since I didn't know what she liked. She picked up a box of pork chow mien and dug in with a pair of chopsticks. I grabbed some Kung Pao chicken, still fuming, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Will you stop pouting?" Bella said firmly. "So why did you come so early?"

"I wanted to see you again," I admitted, my voice still curt. "I was worried, too."

"Daniel made a bad impression on you at lunch, didn't he?"

"I was obviously right," I hissed my eyes narrowed, softening when I saw her rub her shoulder. I knew Daniel had likely managed to bruise her. That only made me want to hit something, preferably his fucking face again. "Are you sure you're all right?"

She nodded and looked at up at me through long lashes. "Thank you. It was kind of hot watching you so mad, and you know, protect me."

I smirked and raised my hand to tug on a loose curl of her long hair. I twisted a lock around my finger, smiling. "I was hot, huh? Care to elaborate on that, love."

However, her coy smile fell as her eyes focused on something else. She gasped, her eyes widening.

"What?" I asked following her gaze to my hand. My knuckles were red and mottled, swollen from when I had punched Daniel. I hadn't noticed the pain. Bella dropped her food container and took my hand in both of hers. She held it in her lap, examining it as her fingers glided over my hand slowly in small circles. It felt so intimate and for some reason, I felt my whole body warm from the touch.

"Let me get some ice for it," Bella whispered before getting up and heading into her modern kitchen. I watched as she took something out of her gray cabinet drawer.

"Bella, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt," I called from the living room.

"Humor me please," she retorted. She came back to sit by me, placing an ice pack on my hand with a couple of opened beers. "Hope you don't mind a beer. I don't have any wine on hand right now."

"Beer is fine, Bella." I smiled picking up one of the bottles with my free hand. "Umm, now I can't eat," I grumbled, trying to move my right hand. Bella shook her head, not allowing me to remove the ice pack. She took my chopsticks, picking up some chicken from my box and holding it up in front of my lips. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting for me to take a bite.

I was hesitant; never had another woman fed me. I took the bite and watched her tongue sweep over her lips.

_I love her lips._

Bella and I ate while discussing the latest political issues stemming from fucking Washington. I had noticed that she was on her third beer when I thought I'd tease her.

"So is that beer non-alcoholic so you don't get drunk?" I asked seriously.

"No Edward, this is the real me," Bella whispered averting her eyes from my own. I removed the ice pack from my hand and lifted her chin so I could look into her eyes.

"Sorry, that was a cheap shot," I said.

"I deserved it," Bella whispered again. "I'm sorry for lying."

"It's already forgotten and forgiven," I said leaning in as my hand slid from her chin to her cheek. I pressed my lips on hers, but was hesitant at first. I wanted to be sure that she wanted this as much as I did.

When she didn't pull away from me, I sought more. I licked her bottom lip, her soft mouth parted as a sweet sigh escaped. We both groaned as our tongues met again for the first time since the gym. That little wet and warm touch seemed to ignite something in Bella.

She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around my neck as her fingers tugged at my hair. I pulled her closer with one of my hands curling around her waist and the other on her hip. Bella picked herself up higher, leaning down to kiss me deeply. One of my hands stroked up her back, the other glided along her thigh, feeling the toned muscles flex under my touch.

Bella pulled away first, resting her forehead on mine, breathing heavily. "Wow," she gasped.

"Uh, huh," I returned, panting. I took her face in my hands and went in for another heart-pounding kiss. In moments, we were both gasping for breath again, but she pulled away.

"Wait. Before we get a little ahead of ourselves, I owe you a dance," Bella reminded me, a sexy smirk playing on her kiss-swollen lips.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," I said with my lips still a breath away from hers. "But if you insist."

As if I'd give up a chance for her to dance for me.

"Have a seat," she said as she stood up and offered to help me onto my feet. I smirked and took advantage of my position. I slid both of my hands over the soft fabric of the pants near her calves, reveling at the warmth that lay beneath my fingers. Her breath remained heavy as she watched me slowly lift myself off the floor. My fingers curled around her thighs, over the back of them. Her eyes rolled closed as a sexy little moan escaped her.

As I sat on my knees, eye fucking level with her navel, I slid my hands over her ass, but my touch was feather light, only enough to tease her—and me. I cupped her bottom for a moment before I splayed my fingers wide and swept them under the hem of her top. She moaned again, taking the tiniest step back, but immediately took half a step closer to me. I nuzzled her belly, skimming my lips along the waistband of her yoga pants.

"Mmm, you smell so fucking good," I murmured. She really smelled like a woman should, seductive yet provocatively sweet. Fucking savory and spicy, too. I wanted to find out if she tasted as good as her arousal smelled.

"Oh, damn," she said and finally pulled away. I knew I had pushed her too far, too soon. "I'm going to change into something else."

She gave me a shy smile before walking down the hallway to the first door on the left, which led to her bedroom. I sat in the middle of her large couch but became curious when I noticed a bookcase filled with books.

I walked up to it, noticing a lot of classics and some modern books. She had many suspense and mystery novels, and then I moved to a section that had made my eyes widen. She had over a hundred books pertaining to sex.

Some of the titles were obvious in their nature, while others were a little more discreet.

_Sex and the Perfect Lover; Tickle His Pickle; The Complete Guide to Amazing Sex and Kama Sutra._ Bella had a sex reference library.

I heard a tinkling laugh behind me as I continued to read the titles. I turned and nearly keeled over.

In front of me was Bella in a dark blue top with thin straps that barely covered her breasts. Her torso was exposed and her ass was clad in a tiny black skirt with a slit on one side exposing her matching bottom to her top. She wore a long sleeved thin sheer top over everything, her feet in a pair of fuck-me heels.

"Like my reference library?" Bella asked with a beautiful teasing smile on her lips.

"You have quite the collection." I winked before taking her hand and walking back to the couch. Bella pushed me down so that I was in the middle. She moved the coffee table easily to the side, and pulled up a black chair from a table in the dining room, but left it on the side.

She walked over to the stereo on the west wall placing a CD into the player and removed a remote from the console before turning to face me. She pressed a button before throwing the remote in a nearby chair.

She danced at the club to the same song; _Buttons_. Her body moved sinfully, her hips swaying from side to side as her hands clutched her hair. _Fuck. _When the chorus started, Bella stalked toward me with an almost predatory look in her eyes. She stopped in front of me, too far for me to grab her, as I wanted to. She popped her ass before closing the distance between us, her legs touching my knees. I looked up into her eyes. I kept one hand clutching the couch cushion and the other ran up her thigh. She smirked, still dancing in place with a seductive little swivel of her hips. The song came to the part where I had to stop Bella from removing her top at the club.

I swallowed as the look in her eyes told me that I was really going to enjoy what was going to happen next. Fuck, please tell me she was going to strip for me.

"_I can't seem to get you over here to help get this off_." She removed the sheer top exposing her torso and her glistening skin. She had the most beautiful abdomen, slim, and not overly toned. She stepped closer, turning and swaying her firm ass within my reach.

I groaned, unable to control myself. I tried to grab her but she slapped my hand away and took several steps away from me. I let out a frustrated grunt that had her laughing.

Bella grabbed the black chair from earlier that had only two slats on the back. She turned the chair so that the back faced me. She climbed onto it, sitting on her haunches and then opened her legs completely with her hair thrown back as if she was fucking coming or something.

Fucking hell, I almost became unglued at the sight. She straddled the chair for a few beats then jumped off. She stood and spun the chair on one leg for a few turns. Once is stopped she sat back on it, watching me as her hands started to roam over her body.

Then she started to moan. I could only take so much before all my control was lost, and I was at the precipice. She shook her entire head in a few tight circles, her hair wild and loose. She threw her head back as she spread her knees apart again.

"Fuck, Bella."

I reached for her in an instant, not allowing her a chance to back away. I pulled her onto my lap, and thankfully, Bella didn't waste any time. Her urgent mouth met mine in a clash of tongue, teeth and lips. We both groaned at the taste and the feel of our bodies pressed together.

She straddled my lap, her hips still moving to the music that pulsed through her stereo. Her hands went to my hair as mine slid up her thighs to cup her ass. I kneaded the firm flesh over the fabric of some little shorts beneath her skirt. I grunted in displeasure, she fucking had too much clothes on.

Bella mewled, pulling away to breathe. My lips skimmed along her jawline until I reached her neck. I kissed and licked down to her breasts in her tiny top. I sucked on her nipple through the fabric, finding it already hardened. She threw her head back moaning as her hips moved more urgently over mine. She was creating delicious friction, and I used my hands to help guide her while I ground my own arousal against her harder. Her hands tore at my shirt, so I pulled back to allow her some access. I my breath was harsh and every part of my body was rigid and hard as I awaited the feel of her skillful mouth. She licked and nipped along my neck down to my right nipple, taking it in her mouth biting gently then swirling it around with her tongue.

"Fuck," I hissed, holding her head in place with one hand. The other continued helping her move harder against me. Unable to quell my thirst to taste more of her, I pulled her head back and latched my teeth on to her neck. She moaned deeply, and cried out when I used my teeth to push the fabric away from one of her breasts. I took her small pink peak in my mouth groaning at the taste.

_So sweet._

We continued this way for several minutes, and I knew I'd make her come this way. I wanted to see her let go completely, revel that I did it to her.

Then her phone rang.

"The answering machine will get it," Bella gasped as she grabbed my face leaning in for another kiss. As our mouths and hips continued to move against one another, I felt her fingers finish removing all the buttons of my shirt.

On the third ring, Bella's answering machine picked up the call. "Hello, by now you should know what to do." Bella's voice ended and the machine beeped.

"Bella! I know your fucking there. It's your brother. Pick up. God damn it, Bella. What the fuck are you doing with Playboy Edward Cullen? Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

We both stilled and I internally cringed.

"Haven't you learned anything from what happened? After everything that we went through with—" Bella jumped up and picked up a nearby cordless phone, running to the answer machine and turning it off.

"Jordan, calm down," Bella said urgently into the phone. She turned to look at me, covering her exposed breasts and mouthed an apology. She walked into the hallway and straight to her bedroom closing the door behind her.

_I'm fucked._

If her brother didn't approve of me, there was no way she'd want to continue to see me. And what was with what he said about what she went through? What could've had happened in her past that would make her brother hate the idea of his sister dating the local playboy?

A broken heart was the only thing I could think of; someone had hurt her. I had a brief thought of her crying and upset - it wasn't something I liked to see. No wonder she tested me before, she didn't want to get hurt again. And that was my plan; to toss her aside like all the rest. This was getting complicated.

Bella came back out a minute later, walking slowly to me. "Edward, I'm sorry I think we should call it a night," she whispered not able to meet my eyes.

I knew this would happen the moment she left me on the couch to talk to her brother. I nodded, keeping my disappointment to myself. I tried to get up but groaned as my erection strained against the zipper of my jeans.

Bella chuckled. "You seem to have a little problem. Let me help you with that before you go." She walked into the door across from her bedroom before I could respond. What did she mean by 'let me help'?

She walked back into the room with a hand towel and bottle of something. She smirked and straddled my thighs, surprising me. Her mouth met mine, but I pulled away. "Bella, you don't have to do anything."

"Edward, how long have you been blue-balling?" Bella whispered in my ear, sucking on it.

"Ever since I met you," I answered, placing my hands on her hips trying to create friction again. If she was willing to help, I wasn't about to complain. I'd wanted her hands on me since I first saw her.

"Poor, baby," Bella whispered against my lips. "Hmm, show me what you've got." I groaned as her hand slid up my thigh and stroked my erection. Both of her hands worked on my jeans and boxers, releasing me. I smelled something heady and a little sweet and noticed that she was rubbing something in her hands. I didn't have time to ask her about it since her hands were suddenly one me. I groaned and lifted my hips in surprise and desperation for more.

She still fucking wanted me. Fuck yes. I grabbed her face and plunged my tongue in her mouth.

"Not a little problem but a big problem," Bella gasped, pulling away as my lips sucked on her neck. Her talented hands stroked me with perfection. Her grip was tight and her hands were hot, keeping a steady pace. I bucked my hips to encourage her to go faster. She complied as I sucked on the swell of her breasts, ripping the fabric away with my teeth and hands.

I felt that familiar heat in the pit of my stomach as I was closing in on my release. "Bella," I cried out as she tightened her grip further. One of her hands moved under my cock, before a fingernail lightly grazed the sensitive skin just under my balls. The sensation was fucking amazing and I knew I couldn't hold out any longer. I came hard.

"Fuck!" I gasped as Bella grabbed the towel but continued stroking me until I came down from my orgasm. She cleaned me up never taking her eyes off me and zipped me back up as gently as possible.

"You're really beautiful when you come." She kissed me again, this time slowly. She pulled away after a minute, and jumped off me.

"Let me return the favor." I said huskily. I wanted to plunge my fingers into her tight little pussy, and if possible my cock and tongue. Bella shook her head, smirking, as one of her hands traveled under her skirt.

_Fuck._

She pulled out two fingers and waved them in front of me. "That's what I have these for." She giggled at my bewildered expression. Then she swept those two glistening fingers across my lips.

_Fuck me._

I licked my lips and my problem returned, because she tasted fucking delicious. Bella chuckled, looking at my crotch. "Edward, you only get the one tonight." I groaned as she held her hand to help me off the couch. I allowed her to help but enveloped her in my arms the instant I was on my feet. She squeaked as I groped her ass roughly. Did she really think I'd let her get away?

I chuckled. "I'll get you my pretty and that sweet pussy too," I whispered in her ear. I kissed her lips and Bella deepened it. Then she groped my ass, swatting it once.

"We have a busy day tomorrow. So go home," Bella said before pulling away. I made an attempt at her ass again, but she swatted mine and pushed me to leave.

I didn't want to leave but I walked to the door dragging my feet anyway. Bella gave me another push and I opened the door and stood in the hallway turning back to look at her.

"Thanks for dinner, Edward."

"Thanks for feeding me and for …" I trailed off.

"Anytime."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," I said, leaning in to kiss Bella's soft lips. I pulled away and walked down the hallway until I heard the soft click of her door. I sighed; I had never wanted to stay with a woman as I had with Bella. I wanted to explore her tight little body and the thought had me fucking hard again.

_Fuck, I need another cold shower._

**Wednesday**

In my morning shower, I had to take care of my problem after spending the whole night dreaming about Bella. Bella's lips, Bella's hair, Bella's fucking tight hot mouth wrapped around my cock.

_This is not helping. _I adjusted myself slightly as I drove Bella and me to work. She greeted me this morning with a cup of coffee and a pastry. She was sitting in the seat beside me, looking drop dead gorgeous as always, reading the newspaper. Her phone rang.

"Hello."

"Oh hi, Alice." Bella smiled at me. I rolled my eyes, I was sure Alice was up to something.

"Yes, he invited me to have dinner with his parents this evening. Change of plans?" Bella looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Okay. I'll ask Edward if he's fine with it. No, I'm with him right now." She started to look upset by whatever Alice was telling her. "No! We did not spend the night together. Not that it's any of your business, but we're car pooling." She paused for a minute, listening to Alice ramble about something. She relaxed after a while. She covered the phone and looked at me again.

"Alice wants to know if it's okay if we all have dinner together." Bella looked at me with a smile.

"Whatever you want, love," I answered, trying to get through traffic.

"Alice he said…yes…no…I don't know why." Bella sighed as I looked at her in question. She just shook her head. "Yes, all of us will be fine. Where? That sounds great, Alice. Seven sounds fine. We'll see you there." She pocketed her phone and returned her attention to the newspaper.

"What was with the 'I don't know why'?" I asked.

It took a moment before she answered. "I don't think you realize what you call me sometimes and Alice heard you."

"What do you mean? I call you Bella." I asked, not understanding what she meant by that.

"You call me something else. You'll figure it out." Bella smiled taking a sip of her coffee. I shook my head. Women. I pulled into our office building, rushed to her side, and opened her door. I pulled her out and wrapped my arms around her.

"May I put my coffee down before I spill it all over you?" Bella complained. I pulled away as she turned and placed it on the top of my car before turning around to face me.

I pressed her against my car like the previous day and kissed her lips softly and gently. Her lips parted and I tasted her tongue with my own.

I groaned. "Coffee flavored," I whispered. "Mmm, so good." I deepened the kiss and right then Bella's alarm went off again. Bella chuckled against my lips when I tried to grab her phone and toss it.

"C'mon, we should go." She pushed me away, grabbing her coffee and walking toward the elevator. I stayed behind watching her walk ahead of me. She looked over her shoulder and shook her head.

"One track mind," Bella teased, pressing the button for the elevator. Once I caught up with her, I led her inside. As soon as the doors closed, I pulled her to my chest and kissed her deeply. At first, she met my touch and mouth with enthusiasm, but she straightened herself out when the doors opened to allow people in. I pulled her into the corner, her back against the wall and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I can't get last night out of my mind." I placed one hand beside her head against the wall of the elevator. Bella smirked before discreetly stroking my erection through my pants. I hissed at the touch, growing impossibly harder.

"I can feel that, but you're on your own today. Too much work to do for us to take a break together." Bella smiled and I glared at her.

_I'm being cock blocked by the cock tease._

"You're a damn tease," I grumbled. Bella laughed, softly stroking me once more.

"Our stop," she whispered in a breathy tone.

The rest of the morning, I was in constant arousal. _Fuck. _How was I supposed to get my body to calm down if she was always around me? During a time when no one was expected for another appointment, I decided I needed a little relief. I used my bathroom and took care of the problem. I washed my hands and opened the door to go back into my office. There perched on my desk was the constant source to my arousal.

Bella gave me that coy look and a smirk. "Took you long enough," she teased. "I was going to offer you a hand but you seemed to do well on your own."

She fucking heard me jacking off, great. I glared at her, "What do you need, Ms. Swan?"

"So that's how you want to play?" She smirked, hopping off my desk. "Mr. Cullen, I came in to see if you needed anything for me to prepare for the lunch meeting."

I raised an eyebrow and wondered if she was going to behave. "No, I think we have everything ready, Ms. Swan." She sat in the chair in front of mine, crossing her legs, her fitted blue skirt hiking up her thigh.

"All right, you should leave in about ten minutes if you plan on making it on time," she said after checking the time on her Blackberry.

"You mean _we_ should be leaving in ten minutes," I indicated matter-of-factly.

"You want me to come with you?"

"Yes, I need you to record the meeting and help me with him," I said thoughtfully. Phil was a sucker for a sweet face, and Bella was the sweetest they came. "He usually takes his trophy wife to our lunch meetings." I shuddered, remembering that the woman had no scruples. She openly flirted with me in front of her husband and offered me a key card once to her hotel room. I hoped that, with Bella by my said, Mandy wouldn't try anything. I didn't want to lose this deal. Mr. Knight had brought a lot of business our way.

"That sounds fine, Mr. Cullen," she replied, all fucking business. "I better finish what I'm working on before we go." Bella got up from her chair and started to walk toward the door.

"Bella, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just a little frustrated."

She sighed, looking over her shoulder. "I understand, Edward, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. When the time is right, you'll be the first to know," she stated, her voice soft and gentle.

When the door closed behind her, I felt the weight of her words. _When the time is right_, the problem was if the time would ever come. Could I really wait her out?

Thirty minutes later, we were sitting in a booth at a local steakhouse with Phil Knight and his wife, Mandy. Bella was sitting beside me, her thigh touching my own. After introductions and ordering our meal, Phil and I got down to business.

Mandy kept glancing between Bella and me, her eyes roaming over my body every chance she got. I noticed from the corner of my eye, Bella glaring at her. I smiled internally, she was jealous of Mandy's attention. Then I felt Bella's hand on my thigh.

My body instantly reacted to her touch, her hand moving higher. I stopped breathing for a moment, listening to Phil as he continued discussing upcoming projects. Phil turned to ask his wife something, allowing me a word with Bella.

"What are you doing?" I whispered to her discreetly, keeping my eyes on Phil.

"Sorry, I thought you didn't want her attention," she mumbled looking down. She removed her hand and placed both of them on her lap. I hadn't meant for her to stop or that I wanted Mandy in any way.

I needed a way for her to understand that if I had to choose between her and Mandy, I'd want only her. I placed my hand on her thigh and slid it higher. Bella stiffened beside me and her breath hitched as my hand went underneath her skirt. "What are you doing?" she whispered frantically in my ear.

"Returning the favor," I whispered as my fingers touched the edge of her panties. She was hot, and when I pressed a little harder, I found her wet. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from audibly reacting.

Phil continued with questions, and I answered them as best I could. I kept my touch light over silk and lace underwear, teasing her. She maintained her composure very well, the only telltale sign was the slight tremble of her lips whenever I added a little more pressure.

Phil asked for the copies that I had brought, and Bella helped by handing him all the paper work, while I slid her panties aside. Her thighs clenched in anticipation, but I kept my fingertips over and around where she wanted my touch the most. She sent me a glare when Phil and his wife looked over some of the files. I smirked and without further warning, slid two fingers inside her.

Bella gripped the table, closing her eyes briefly before reaching down to get my briefcase. She searched for the CD with all the detailed plans and computer models for the project. When she bent a bit to the side to place the briefcase down beside her, she looked down to where my hand disappeared under her skirt.

She licked her lips slowly, trembling as I continued my ministrations. With one last look at me she forced a smile, giving the CD to Phil. After a couple of minutes, lunch arrived and Phil suggested we leave the rest of the business talk until after we'd eaten. I happily agreed, indicating it was best not to be distracted.

All the while I fingerfucked the brown-haired beauty beside me. She was hot, tight and slick, and that had me hard and wanting.

"Breathe, Bella," I leaned in to whisper in her ear when I noticed her holding her breath. "Do you want me to stop?" She shook her head, taking a bite of her salad in her mouth. I curled my fingers inside her, which wasn't easy to do from the awkward position of my hand. However, I didn't allow it to deter me as I found that spot that made her gasp again. I could tell by the way she bit her lip occasionally, she was trying to avoid crying out. I continued stroking my fingers in and out of her, enjoying the look on her face and the way she felt around my fingers.

_Fuck. I can't wait until I can taste her again._

I felt her starting to tighten as her fingers curled around the edge of the table. Her chest started to move more rapidly, her body tensing. She trembled for several moments as I felt her clamp down around me. I continued until she grabbed my hand to stop me from moving. Slowly, she allowed me to remove my fingers. I grazed her thigh and grabbed the napkin on her lap, cleaning my hand except a finger. From the corner of my eye, I could see her watching me, wanting to see if I'd do it.

I quickly put my finger in my mouth. "Mmm," I teased her. "You were right Bella, the Alfredo sauce here is to die for."

Her eyes widened for a moment before she agreed implicitly with me. "You're absolutely right, Edward. I'm pretty sure it's the best you'll ever taste."

I grinned, matching the wide smile she had. Even though the look in her eyes told me, I fucked up by what I had done at a _business_ meeting. I had broken her number one rule: remain professional while working. Fuck.

Bella excused herself from the table and left to the Ladies room. Phil gave me a brief complement on how wonderful Bella seemed and how happy he was to see me settle down. I didn't bother correcting his assumption, especially with Mandy waiting for my outright denial. I wasn't about to fuel any of her fantasies, though I was sure my being off the market wouldn't deter her.

I excused myself shortly afterwards, in hopes of catching Bella in the hallway. I thought it'd be best to defuse the situation if she was pissed before we went back to the table. As I approached the bathrooms, an arm pulled me into the Ladies room.

Damn, for such a little thing she was very strong. In and instant Bella pushed me against the door and locked it.

She glared at me. "That was a very naughty thing you did," she growled. My cock twitched as the fuckhot sound of her voice. Who knew I liked being called naughty?

"Like I said, I was just returning the fav—vor," I stated my protest dying out because of the look she was giving me.

"You are going to pay for that," she hissed, grabbing my semi-hard erection. It hardened instantly. _Punishment, fuck yeah. And now I'm a masochist? Then again, I don't think that happened until recently._

"Oh no, you're not going to benefit from this punishment, Edward. I. Am." Bella whispered in my ear as she continued to touch me over my pants.

"What do you want?" I gasped as I moved my hips in time with the friction she was creating. I'd agree to just about anything at this point.

"You're going to do it again."

"What again?"

"You're going to finger me again."

"Anytime," I gasped again, my breathing becoming erratic as she palmed me more roughly. She had incredible hands, strong yet warm.

"We'll see. You have to do it again during dinner."

My eyes widened and cock hardened even further at the command and power in her voice. "Tonight."


	11. Dinner Divine

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Eleven—Dinner Divine**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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Edward**

I was never was one to be submissive. I was always the dominate one in the bedroom. Now I found that I was willing to be her fucking slave.

_Fuck, I'm hard as hell. _

I simply nodded to her request. Bella gave me a smirk and there was a look of triumph on her lovely face. She stopped touching me and I groaned, missing the contact already.

"Sorry, but for that little display, you don't get to get any relief until I say so," she said firmly before turning on her heels and walking to the bathroom sink washing her hands. "Now go get cleaned up before you head back to lunch. And I advise you to keep your eyes off of Mandy's chest unless you want to be blue-balling for the rest of the week."

She gave me a wink while drying her hands and fixing a hair that fell out of place by pinning it back. I sighed like an idiot before unlocking the bathroom door and making sure no one was in the hallway. I ducked into the men's room to wash my hands.

Once I was out of Bella's influence, essence, and her beautiful fucking smell, I contemplated how I let this go that far. How did I come to the point where all my thoughts revolved around one woman? How could I let this happen? Now what, was I going to let her control everything in this relationship? Relationship?

_Fuck. Relationship? I'm a fucking chick now. I don't do relationships._

I had to admit, though, that the thought of letting her have control in the bedroom had me coming up with some fuckhot scenarios. Most included bondage; and I officially became a sick fuck.

I put the thoughts out of my mind as I headed back to the lunch with Phil Knight and double-D Mandy. Bella was already there speaking adamantly with Phil while Mandy seemed to be getting more and more confused every second. I walked closer and realized why. Bella was speaking in Spanish. Her voice sensually rolled the r's beautifully.

"No sé?" Bella shrugged her tone indifferent. Phil laughed and replied.

"Mi estimado, nunca lo he visto mirar a una mujer come él te mira a ti," Phil said, looking almost giddy at Bella.

"Solamente porque él me quiere en su cama." Bella laughed softly, shaking her head. I cleared my throat hoping to convey that I didn't understand a word they just said. I, of course, had understood everything.

Phil pretty much had told Bella that I had never looked at another woman the way I looked at her. Bella responded that it was just because I wanted her in my bed. Even though that may be the case, it still unnerved me how much insight she had on my thoughts and behavior. And I had no idea what Phil meant with his remark. I didn't look at Bella any differently.

_Do I? _I was starting to feel like she may be using me to serve the same purpose. I wasn't sure that I liked that idea.

_Shit._

I took my seat beside Bella, trying to look like I just stepped up. "Now where were we, Phil?"

We spent the rest of the lunch meeting discussing our plans and made some arrangements. After lunch, I opened the passenger side door silently and Bella slid into the seat. We rode in silence on the way back to work. I sighed, slightly annoyed and concerned that this thing between Bella and me was really starting to affect my fucking brain.

"What is it? Whatever you have to say, just say it." Bella huffed in annoyance.

"I understood everything you and Phil were talking about when I came back to the table."

"And how long were you standing there listening?" Bella looked at me, biting her lower lip.

"Long enough to know that you still think that I just want to get you into bed." I shrugged.

Bella laughed. "So in other words, you're upset because I still think ill of you."

_Yes. _I didn't respond.

"I'm sorry that I upset you, Edward. But I do believe that you can't change overnight."

"I don't want you to think of me that way. Don't get me wrong, I want you in my bed but I want more too," I lied; a perfectly delivered line.

_It's a lie, right?_

"That's nice," she said softly. "I'll try to keep that in mind as we move forward."

"That's all I ask, love." I took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, earning a smile.

After I released her hand, we listened to the latest from Kings of Leon through the speakers of my stereo. Before I had driven two more blocks, Bella shifted in her seat, her long legs drawing in my attention.

"Now," she said in the same tone she used in the bathroom at the restaurant. "Just because you decided to be a good guy, does not mean you get out of your punishment." From the corner of my eye I could see her smile. Then I felt her hand on my thigh, slowly ascending. My cock twitched again from her touch and her voice.

_Damn, this woman has me under some kind of spell. Witchy woman._

Her hand tortured by poor cock, stroking much too gently for actual relief. She continued until we reached the parking garage of our office building. I put the car in park, and I let my head fall back to concentrate on her ministrations.

She fucking stopped, causing me to groan out loud.

"Time to go back to work," she teased. "Remember, you're not allowed to come until I tell you to. So I better not find you in your bathroom taking care of it." She cocked an eyebrow daring me to say something. I chose to tease her.

"Yes, mistress." Bella just rolled her eyes before exiting the car. I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself before sliding out myself.

I caught up with her quickly, and, surprisingly, Bella captured my hand in her own. Or so I thought. She passed off a pair of lacy black panties. My cock strained in my pants.

_Oh shit. Was she trying to kill me?_

Bella gave me a wink before walking into the elevator. I shuddered slightly, adjusting myself, and heard her laugh. I slipped her panties into my jacket pocket and realized that I would smell her for the rest of the day. Yeah, that was most likely her plan all along.

_That's it! She's not the only one that can play these little games._

I swiftly spun us around and pushed her against the elevator wall beside the buttons. I pressed my body against hers, allowing her to feel what she did to me. She arched closer and held me as tightly as possible.

_She wants me just as bad as I want her._

The elevator doors closed, and only then, I closed my mouth over hers. Her fingers gripped my hair feverishly, trying to bring me closer. Breathless groans left us both as I kissed from her mouth to her neck. I looked up at the numbers above the elevator doors and noticed that we were about to reach the fourth floor.

I didn't want it to end so soon, so I pressed the stop button. Bella's eyes snapped open. "What are you doing?" She asked breathlessly.

"Giving us some privacy," I stated, sucking at the little hallow at her throat. She gasped when my teeth grazed her skin. I smiled, realizing I had the same effect on her as she had on me.

_Na, nah, nah na ne neh. __Wait, she's currently commando. I must use this fact to my advantage. _

My hands slid from her hips to her thighs. I slipped my hands under her skirt, slowly taking in the silkiness of her skin. Bella moaned as my mouth nipped at the swells of her breasts in her v-neck sweater. She tugged at my hair to force me to look at her. Her breaths were hot and heavy as she licked my lips with her tongue. I growled and gripped her bare ass and pushed my cock against her. She felt so good.

_Fucking perfect._

Her skirt hitched higher up her thighs as I continued to knead the silky-soft but firm flesh of her perfect ass. Suddenly, I remembered something. Someone could be watching us. I'm sure those guys in the security office would love a show, but Bella would not be staring in it. I did not want those assholes to know what she looks like when I fuck her. _Mine!_

I pulled away reluctantly, knowing we couldn't go any further. "Love, we have to stop. We are most likely being watched," I mumbled trying to catch my breath. My hands were still under her skirt gripping her ass. Bella groaned in protest.

"Fucking cameras," she grumbled as she laid another kiss on my lips. I slid my hands down her thighs slowly, and ground my cock against her one more time for good measure.

I pulled away completely, running my fingers through my hair knowing Bella probably caused it to stand up in disarray more than usual. She straightened herself out, adjusting her skirt and smoothing any wrinkles that may have appeared.

"You look fine, love," I said reassuring her. I was about to press the button for the elevator to continue when she held out her hand to stop me.

"I know what you were trying to pull," she said in that raspy fucking tone again. "I will not tolerate _disobedience. _Try to take control again and you will not receive your reward. Understand?" Bella snarled and she punched the stop button to restart the elevator.

Reward? Hmm, I wondered what that meant.

I nodded. Fuck it, because I was a willing slave. She was obviously going to be in charge when it came to our physical relationship and I'd wait, but not for long. I was a fucking man. However, the moment I was inside her I'd flip the situation so I'd get everything I craved from her.

The rest of the day, I was in constant arousal. Bella made sure I never got relief. She'd come in with a client, sit down near me, and her scent alone would bring me to full attention. Then of course, the thought that she was sitting right beside me with no underwear on didn't help matters. She would touch me any chance she had.

Since dinner was early and we didn't leave the office until a little after five, we had to skip the gym today, much to my disappointment. Bella decided to tease me further once we were in my car on the way to our apartments by hitching up her skirt higher.

_A little higher please. _Bella took my right hand from the steering wheel and put it on her thigh while biting her lower lip.

_Fuck._

Bella's breathing hitched as my hand continued higher. I wasn't about to give her relief so I slid my hand back down, resting it on her knee. I chanced a look at her and she was glaring at me. She slapped my hand away and pulled her skirt down. I laughed.

"You're going to pay for that," Bella growled as she continued to glare at me.

I laughed again. "You can try to play a fierce tiger but you just come off like a cute angry little kitten."

"Maybe, but this kitten won't tickle your pickle if you don't behave and do what I tell you." Bella huffed in annoyance.

"Tickle your pickle?"

"Oh, don't pretend that book title didn't cause your cock to twitch last night?" Bella teased, her anger subsiding.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I feigned innocence. "Have you always had particular tastes in the past?"

"I've dabbled on both sides. I found I have no particular preference over submitting or dominating. But I have a feeling you've always dominated. I thought you'd enjoy something a little different."

I smiled and pictured her in leather and with a whip. Yes, it was something I wouldn't mind trying once at the very least.

"I've never allowed a woman to dictate what happens in the bedroom. I'm intrigued, so do with me as you please. I trust you."

That little spot between her eyebrows furrowed. She nodded and gave me a half-smile. "So we're heading to Palisade for dinner tonight," she said, completely changing the subject. "I need to get ready. I advise you to take care of your problem when you shower."

"Yes, mistress," I said sarcastically. She grinned.

"Good, you're learning," she quipped with a teasing wink. "Get here about six-thirty. We're taking my car, so walk here, please." She pulled out her key card from her jacket pocket.

"Fine," I grumbled.

"Now what's the matter?" Bella asked.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to take care of my problem by myself."

Bella laughed as she got out of the car. "I'll see you later, champ."

Once I returned to my apartment, I took care of my problem. I thought of Bella's sweet ass in my hands while I showered. I thought I might as well, considering that I didn't want to have a hard-on when I went to see my parents.

The Palisade was a five star waterfront restaurant with breathtaking views. I hoped my parents had gotten reservations in the Orchid Room or Magnolia Room. Those rooms were the only ones with tablecloths on their tables.

I intended to go commando, thinking it would be a great way to tease Bella. However, I threw on a pair boxer briefs in hopes of keeping me from pitching a tent all night. I finished dressing in a pair of black slacks and a matching jacket, along with a dark blue button-up shirt. I skipped the tie, knowing I'd have to loosen it when I got Bella off under the table, anyway. Just the thought of having my fingers inside her again had me hard and hot under the collar of my shirt.

I grabbed my keys and my wallet, and left my apartment building. The night air was cool and brisk as I walked to Bella's building. The door attendant greeted me, recognizing me immediately, and opened the door for me. I proceeded to the elevator, ready to head up, but the doors opened when I got there. Standing inside was my Bella, looking beautiful under the bright lights.

She gave me a smile and looked up at me through her long lashes. I smirked and my eyes traveled from her face to her bare shoulders. She was in a dark blue strapless cocktail dress that flowed from her waist to just a few inches above her knees. Draped over her arm was a black silk shawl and her hand clutched a black handbag. Her legs looked impeccably long in a pair of matching black strappy high heels.

"Like what you see?" Bella winked before walking out of the elevator.

"Most definitely, love," I whispered, pulling her into my arms. I took in the scent of her hair as my lips descended to her neck to kiss it gently.

"Mmm, give me a hand please," Bella said breathlessly.

"What can I help you with?" I looked at her curiously. She handed me her shawl, turning her back to me. I carefully draped the silky fabric over her and my fingers brushed over her soft skin.

I leaned down to whisper in her ear, "It's a shame to cover up this lovely neck of yours." I placed an open-mouthed kiss at the base of her neck, earning a soft moan from her lips. I chuckled when I noticed what we were wearing.

"What's so funny?" Bella mumbled.

"We match." I turned her slowly, taking her hand and pressing my lips to it. Her lips parted slightly as she watched me kiss her hand again.

_Yeah, I'll get you now, my pretty._

With my eyes locked with hers, I turned her hand in mine. She shivered slightly as my tongue swirled on the soft skin of her wrist.

She sighed softly, giving me a look of desire and taunt. "We should go before we're late. My car is up front." She held out her keys, and I took them but grabbed her hand in my own. I smiled and we walked hand in hand to the front lobby of her building.

The door attendant opened the door for us. "Ms. Swan, you look lovely this evening."

"Thank you, Derek." Bella smiled at the stout gray hair man. "I left dinner for you and Rick in the lounge. Enjoy." Bella winked at Derek.

"What's on the menu tonight?" Derek asked with a smile.

"Your favorite. Chicken Alfredo."

"You're too good to us," Derek said, shaking his head.

"It's the least I can do. See you later." Bella waved at him then began walking to her car. I opened the passenger door for her. "Thank you." I helped her in and closed the door.

A few minutes later, we were traveling to downtown Seattle, heading to the waterfront.

**Alice**

"Yes, I just confirmed the reservations. Who are you taking?" I asked, awaiting to hear about the mongrel's plans.

"I've promised my dad to take him back to that place so I'll take him. I still don't know about this. Isn't Bella going to be angry?" Jacob's voice through my cell phone's speaker was low and timid.

"I think that's why Emmett is asking for you to do this. He wants to see if Edward is going to get jealous and wants to see if Bella gets nervous or angry." I shrugged my shoulders looking over at my handsome husband as he pulled out of our building's parking structure.

"Yeah, at my expense. I'm starting to regret recommending Bella to help out," Jacob whined.

"I think you can handle it, Rin Tin Tin," I said sweetly.

"I can handle it, Thumbelina," Jacob chuckled. I rolled my eyes. Couldn't he come up with something better?

"Just remind your father that Bella is on assignment so he doesn't blow her cover."

"Don't worry, I won't forget. See you there."

"Smell you later," I snickered before I hung up.

**Edward**

I pulled up to the Palisade restaurant a few minutes before seven and I tipped the valet to take care of Bella's car. Another valet pulled Bella's door open, offering his hand to help her out. His eyes lingered a little too long on her slender legs. I quickly made my way to her and took her hand from him, glaring.

_Yeah, no tip for you buddy._

I led Bella toward the restaurant with one arm wrapped around her waist as she laid her head on my shoulder. She felt pleasant and warm tucked into my side. I kissed the top of her head, lingering there a moment too long. I chose not to fight my instinct to want more from her, at least for tonight.

"If my family starts to interrogate you and you're getting uncomfortable, just give me a signal and we'll leave."

"Something tells me that you usually don't bring a date with you to family gatherings," Bella said softly.

I sighed, figuring it was best to be honest. "No, I never brought anyone. Even at the club, I had never brought anyone around my family."

"You suck," she teased.

"And nibble," I countered. She slapped my abdomen, laughing. "The truth is I never wanted to bring anyone to meet my parents."

"Yes, but you have to understand that I feel you're only doing this because I'd meet them through the business anyway."

I stopped us from going inside. "If that's how you feel, then perhaps we should leave," I said angrily and stepped away.

She grabbed my arm. "Look at me," she said firmly. Her eyes were soft and tender but the thin line of her lips said that she was just as defensive. "You can't blame me. The only reason I know Alice and Rosalie was because they came to meet me. Emmett and Jasper work at the company as does your father. Your mother is someone we have a meeting with next week. I'm sorry if you don't like to hear the truth. But this won't work unless we tell each other what we're thinking."

"Fine, I'll tell you exactly what I'm thinking," I spat and took her by the shoulders. "I want you, I will not deny that. I want you in my bed, in my office, in my shower and anywhere else you'd allow me to fuck the hell out of you. But I also I want to know things about you. I want to know you. I'm new at this shit, and you second guessing me on everything really fucking sucks."

She nodded and her eyes went wide as she bit into her bottom lip. "I want that, too. All of it. I want to tell you everything and I want to know you." She pulled away from me, suddenly angry. "I'm sorry. You're nothing like I expected, and I'm having a hard time coping with how fast—" she stopped and shook her head.

"Tell me," I said softly, pulling her against my chest. She was rigid as we stood together so close, yet the distance between us was vast.

"I'm afraid we're only capable of hurting each other."

I had no idea what to say to her soft declaration. Before I could reply, I heard Alice call out to us from inside the restaurant. "Hey, what are you to waiting for? Get inside here."

Bella pulled away immediately, making some comment about being impatient. I cursed under my breath and followed closely behind her. I took her hand, squeezing it tightly and she offered me a timid smile.

Alice smiled when she saw our clasped hands and waved us over to the rest of the family. "They said that they will have a table in the Magnolia room ready for us in about ten minutes." She pulled Bella in for a hug and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was that she told her, Bella's posture relaxed immediately. "Mom and Dad are running a little late." Alice pulled away from Bella as Rosalie stepped up pulling her in for a hug, too.

_That's weird to see Rosalie accept someone so fully._

Not allowing Bella the chance to get away from me, I took her hand again. My family decided to grab a drink at the bar as we waited for our table and parents.

"Bella?" a deep voice called from somewhere behind us. Bella tensed beside me before turning to look at who had called her. Behind us, a man in his mid fifties with graying, dark hair was in a wheel chair. Behind him was none other than Jacob Black, who was glaring at me. I ignored him, returning my attention to Bella.

"Billy!" Bella bent down to hug the man in the wheel chair as tears started to glisten in her eyes.

"Sweetheart, how are you?" Billy asked concerned when she pulled away to sit back on her haunches so she could speak to him.

"Fine, I miss them," Bella said, her voice soft as she smiled. "I missed you, too."

"We haven't seen you around in a while. Your brother misses you," Billy indicated, wiping a tear from Bella's cheek. I was positive that she was upset over what had happened to her family. I wished I knew more, but by asking how she lost her parents I feared she'd ask me about mine.

I looked at Jacob and noticed that his eyes were on Bella or rather her chest. I cleared my throat and glared at him. He had the nerve to fucking smirk.

"I'm not having this discussion with you or anyone else here, please," Bella said in a soft but no-nonsense tone. Billy nodded then looked up to me.

"Billy, this is a friend of mine, Edward Cullen. This is Jacob's father, Billy Black. He was my father's best friend." I extended my hand and smiled when he gave my hand a firm shake. He was sizing me up for his late friend.

"Hi, Jacob," Bella greeted the dog nervously.

"Hi, Bells. You look beautiful tonight," Jacob said as he stepped from behind Billy's wheelchair to pull her in for hug. I clenched my fists trying to fight the urge to pull her away from him.

_Just friends … they're just friends._

Jacob's hug was a little too intimate for my tastes. He completely enveloped her small frame with his large body. Bella huffed in annoyance as he tightened his grip and leaned in to whisper something. He kept his eyes on me the whole time. Fucking hell, he was trying to piss me off. My jaw clenched when I noticed his hands start to move down her back. Too far down.

Bella pulled away suddenly, slapping his arm. The asshole rolled his eyes and laughed. "I'm not going to answer that question," Bella told him, glaring. "I guess you just have to continue to be curious."

"Edward, Bella, the table is ready," Alice called us from the bar area. Alice's eyes widened as she saw who was with us. "Underdog," Alice lovingly mocked at Jacob.

"Energizer bunny," Jacob greeted in return.

Even before Jacob left my father's company, the two of them never got along. The rest of my family decided to get a good look at the situation with Jacob. I pulled Bella closer as he continued to glare at me. Then my parents walked in, creating quite a traffic jam in the front of the restaurant.

"Jacob, how are you?" My father asked the mutt, looking surprised by seeing him. Jacob cocked an eyebrow at me before turning to greet my father.

"Hello Carlisle, Esme." Jacob greeted both of my parents with a shake of hands and a bright, fake smile.

"I heard that business has been going well for you and Sam," Carlisle said.

"Yes, we're doing quite well. We're currently working on landing a deal with the City of Seattle," Jacob said as if he knew that what he said would piss me off. My blood had been simmering since Bella and I arrived, and Jacob caused it to boil. His company was our competition.

A host greeted Jacob and told him his table was ready. He nodded and pushed his father's wheel chair ahead before stopping in front of Bella and me.

"I'll see you later, Bells," Jacob said. He bent down and kissed Bella's cheek. A growl rumbled through my chest. I felt Bella's fingers curl around my hand, trying to get me to calm down.

"You and Bella know each other?" Esme asked while my father helped her remove her jacket.

Bella looked like she was about to say something but Jacob beat her. "Yes, she's my ex-fiancée." Jacob shrugged his shoulders and walked away pushing his father along.

A red haze filled my vision as I tore my hand away from Bella's and walked out into the cool night air.

Why was this making me so fucking angry? Why was I so jealous? Just the idea that they were together as anything more than friends filled my head with thoughts of them _together._

"Edward," a soft whisper called behind me.

"Please tell me you don't still have feelings for him," I mumbled unable to look at her.

"Of course I do," Bella said. At least she was being honest. "I love him as a friend and he is marrying my cousin eventually." I felt her step closer to me and her hands touched my back, sweeping up to my shoulders before turning me.

"If he's marrying your cousin, then why is he trying so hard to piss me off?"

"That's some macho game you two are playing." Bella smiled at me before wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I buried my nose in the crook of her neck, breathing her scent to calm me.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she whispered. "I'm scared."

"So am I, love," I said, pressing a soft kiss on her neck. "We have two choices, stop this now or try to see what happens."

"I did promise I'd give you a chance," she said softly, pulling me close and eliminating the little space between us. I hummed in agreement, continuing to lay kisses along all the warm, smooth skin I could reach.

"What did he ask you when he was whispering in your ear?" I asked.

"He asked if his was bigger." Bella chuckled.

"Why didn't you answer him?" Hell, I was a guy and fuck I was curious.

"I didn't have the heart to tell him that there is no comparison," Bella said, laying her head on my chest.

"Good to know," I said smugly. She laughed softly and pinching my side. I grunted and spun her around, causing her to laugh out loud.

"We should go inside. I haven't been here in years," Bella said, her hands playing with the hair at the nape of the neck.

"I don't want to. We can leave now before someone comes and gets us," I suggested, gently taking her ear lobe in between my lips and sucking lightly.

"That would be rude. What would your mother think of me?"

I shrugged and grinned. "I'm sure she'll love you."

She tried to pull away, but thought better of it and stepped closer. She smiled, brushing her lips against mine, teasing me. She took my bottom lip between hers and sucked it lightly before her tongue met mine. I pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Then someone's throat cleared behind us.

"Sorry, but Alice demands your presence," Jasper said, gesturing for us to follow him.

Taking Bella's hand, I led her inside. I loved the restaurant and I noticed Bella must, too, when I saw her eyes widen as she took in the décor.

The exposed wood beams crossed above us, beautifully lit with recessed lights until the beams met in the middle to an oval piece that made up most of the main support system of the building.

Tables were dotted everywhere. Most of the main dining area was occupied with other diners, and Jasper led us to the Magnolia room where my family was waiting.

My father and my mother stood up to greet Bella. "Mother, this is Bella Swan. Bella, this is my mother, Esme." Bella smiled warmly and trying to extend her hand to greet her realized that I was still holding her it. My mother's eyes widened, as she looked at our intertwined hands. Heat rose in my face as I let go of Bella's hand. My mother smiled smugly as she took Bella's hand and shook it.

"Bella, I've heard so much about you," Esme said, pulling Bella in for a hug. _  
_

I looked at my mother confused. Who had been discussing Bella with her? "Son, Bella here has been donating a lot to local charities and foundations for the past few years. In fact, she's causing a fuss among the socialites."

"Well I've heard a lot about you, too, Mrs. Cullen. In fact, your work on the Children's Foundation inspired my current project." Bella smiled pulling away from my mother.

"Darling, please call me Esme. Now let's get seated so we can order dinner and talk about this project of yours." My mother smiled, taking the seat my father pulled out for her. My father extended his hand to Bella and winked. _He winked, why?_

I shook off the confusion and pulled out a chair beside my mother for Bella. Bella shook her head slightly. She motioned for me to come closer. I leaned in and she whispered in my ear. "Sit on my right."

"Why?"

"I want to see if you're as good with your left hand as you are with your right," Bella whispered.

My eyes widened, my breathing hitched, and my fucking dick twitched. She still wants me to finger her with my mother on one side and Jasper sitting on her other side.

I didn't know if I was aroused or fucking scared. _Yup, turned on. _

I pulled out the other wicker chair and Bella slid in with a smirk. I took a deep breath as I sat down beside her. I was thankful that the large oval tables were draped with rich, dark tablecloths. As my family looked over the menu, I pulled Bella's chair as close to mine as possible. I held up my menu to block us from Emmett's view, who had been eyeing me for the past few minutes.

"If I manage to succeed and not embarrass us both in front of my entire family, what's my reward?" I was curious as to what she had in mind, and I had to admit that I was willing to beg to have her reciprocate in some manner—tonight.

Bella bit her lower lip, her brow furrowing slightly as if in thought. She gave me a naughty look that had me ready to leave. "When we get back to my place," she said in a raspy, fucking hot voice and paused for dramatic effect, the little devil. "I'll taste you." I gasped in surprise from her words and because her hand cupped my cock. My eyes rolled, but I managed to compose myself.

_Fuck._

I grabbed the nearest glass of water to help cover my erratic breathing. I heard Bella's tinkling laughter as she looked at her menu, removing her hand from my aching erection.

"So Alice, what's good here?" she asked looking over her menu at my sister. She listened to everyone who decided to give an opinion. They all named just about each item on the menu; she only smiled and looked a bit overwhelmed.

"In other words, love, everything on the menu is delicious," I said, my smile matching hers. The table suddenly quieted.

"What did you call her?" Emmett asked from across the table. His mouth was agape, as was the rest of my family.

"What do you mean? I called her Bella." I went over the last sentence in my head; yes, Bella.

"No you didn't," Rosalie said, a look of confusion and surprise on her face.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked looking at Emmett, who was looking at Bella. I turned to look at her and noticed her shake her head.

"Never mind," Emmett said, looking back at his menu. I looked back at Bella but she averted her eyes from mine. I looked at my parents and noticed they were speaking in quiet whispers.

_Am I really missing something here?_

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I asked looking at Emmett and then Bella.

"Edward, it's nothing really," Bella said.

"If it's nothing, then tell me," I demanded.

Bella sighed in defeat. "You called me 'love,"" she whispered as her hands fidgeted in her lap.

"I did?"

"You did sweetheart," Esme said with a small smile.

I sat there confused because I seriously did not remember calling her anything but her name. After a few minutes, a waiter came to our table to take our order, interrupting my thoughts.

_What the hell did it mean?_

My parents ordered fresh oysters on the half shell, a lobster and crab dip and spring rolls for all of us to share for appetizers and then we all ordered our own meals. Another waiter, probably in his early twenties, began taking drink orders. I noticed his eyes fixate on Bella as he made his way over his to us.

"What drink can I get for you, sir?" He asked me, but his eyes were still on Bella's legs. I placed my hand on her thigh and glared at him. His cheeks flushed as his eyes traveled from my hand to my eyes.

"I'll just have a beer, whatever is on tap," I snapped.

"What can I get you, miss?" he asked her, his eyes on her face. _That's right, buddy, eyes off her body._

"I'll try the Tropical Itch," Bella said to the waiter named Joe.

"That's a favorite among the beautiful ladies, miss." He winked and left quickly, just as I was about to get up and tear him a new one. I was sitting right beside her and he still chose to flirt, idiot.

Bella giggled and I heard Jasper and Emmett laughing, too. They must have seen the exchange.

"Damn Edward, what the hell is the matter with you?" Emmett asked, trying to compose himself.

I glared at him. "Nothing," I grumbled. The red haze started to flare up again. Couldn't I enjoy one night without someone trying to eye-fuck my, um, what do I call her?

"Edward, you're being ridiculous," Bella whispered in my ear. "How's the hand?" I looked at her as she took my right hand in hers. The bruising was a little red from last night and a knuckle was sore.

"It doesn't hurt. It's fine," I whispered, enjoying the intimacy of her touch. Our eyes locked, a small smile played on her lips. I wondered if she felt it too, the charge that I usually felt in her presence.

"What happened to your hand?" Jasper asked, eying me curiously. I shook my head, trying to tell him not to bring it up.

"What about Edward's hand?" my mother asked beside me.

_Too late._

"It's nothing, mother, just some light bruising. It's no big deal."

I tried to play it off, but she held out her hand so she could examine me. Bella released my hand with a giggle. I rolled my eyes and placed my hand in my mother's small one.

"How did you do that son?" Carlisle asked, his eyes looking my hand over, too.

"He helped me with a difficult patient yesterday," Bella answered for me.

"Patient?" Emmett stated like a question. I groaned internally. The thought of him knowing that Bella was a sex therapist made my head pound. Now I would never hear the end of it.

"Yes, patient. I can't go into detail because of doctor-patient confidentially." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"What kind of doctor are you?" Emmett asked, clearly not pleased with her answer.

Bella bit her lower lip and looked hesitant, not that I blamed her. "Emmett, I'm a sex therapist."

Emmett paled, then gaped, then turned slightly pink before he started laughing hysterically. _Here it comes._

"Edward…Bella…sex…oh …so much fun…" Emmett gasped incoherencies.

"Emmett, if you choose to make fun of me or Edward on this matter, I will analyze you in front of everyone. Trust me, it won't be pretty." Bella cocked an eyebrow, daring him to continue. I smiled as Emmett went pale and shut up. "Yes, Emmett you should be on my couch for an hour a week, too," Bella chastised.

Then everyone else, including Rosalie, laughed.

"That was wonderful, love." I kissed her cheek still laughing. Bella cocked her head to one side with a small smile. And then I realized what I said.

_I do call her love. Why do I call her love?_

The laughter died down as drinks started to arrive, and thankfully, Joe was not one of our servers. I set aside my thoughts on why I called Bella "love" to analyze later.

We enjoyed pleasant conversation with my mother about Bella's project, even discussing the possibility of creating a foundation. Bella's hand squeezed my thigh under the table when the appetizers arrived. I gave her my full attention and she gave me a smile.

I mouthed "now" and she bit her lower lip, nodding. I looked at my family, who were busy talking and grabbing appetizers. I nodded, taking a few oysters and spring rolls for myself. Bella did the same with a smile.

I was nervous, not only because I was afraid of getting caught, but because I wasn't sure if I could maintain my composure. The thought of her wet, warm and throbbing had my body reacting.

I kept an eye on Bella. Her smile widened as my hand brushed up her thigh. I took a deep breath and slid my hand higher up her thigh. I gently bit into a spring roll to help suppress a groan as I reached where her panties should be. She had gone commando.

_Damn._

I shifted slightly in my chair, my pants getting uncomfortable. I stroked her slit a few times and noticed she was wet and fucking warm. I bit my lower lip and felt her clamp her thighs around me. I wanted to taste her again, bring my fingers to my mouth.

I continued eating my appetizers, watching Bella from the corner of my eyes. Her eyes closed for a moment, her teeth clamping down on her lip. I smiled and I slid a finger inside her. My thumb rubbed around her clit, teasing her. I slipped my finger and barely grazed the edges of where she wanted me most, causing her to shoot me a glare. I winked and plunged two fingers inside her, and caused her to moan softly.

**Bella**

_Fuck, does he know how to use those long fingers. Remember to breathe. _

I took a deep breath, taking bite of a spring roll. Edward's fingers curled inside me and I clamped my legs shut in surprise. Edward softly chuckled beside me as he took an oyster and slurped up the muscle. I rolled my eyes and he added a third finger, and even though the angle didn't allow for deep penetration, he hit the right spot. I gasped, my thighs automatically tightening as he continued to thrust his fingers inside me. I took an oyster, letting it slide down my throat as his thumb rubbed my clit with renewed vigor.

_Fuck. _I felt that familiar warmth and coil in the pit of my stomach as Edward expertly brought me closer to another orgasm. He noticed as my walls started to tighten around his fingers, and quickened his pace. He wanted to get me off quickly to avoid suspicion, as we were both quiet and not joining in with the conversations around the table.

Edward leaned in to whisper softly, barely audible. "Come for me, Bella."

I gasped slightly, but it was muffled as Edward placed a kiss on my lips. My lower body trembled as I gave into his request.

_God, I love his hands._

**Edward**

I covered Bella's audible sounds with a kiss on her lips. Her release covered my hand and down one of her thighs. I removed my hand slowly and pulled out a handkerchief from the pocket in my pants to clean myself up.

I watched Bella as her eyes closed several times trying to calm her breathing. Her chest rose and fell with every deep breath. Bella took a drink of her cocktail and excused herself from the table, I wanted to follow her, but Alice and Rosalie decided to join her.

I waited a few minutes before excusing myself to go to the bathroom. I washed my hands and thought of my reward. I hoped she meant what she said about tasting me. I wanted her mouth on me, everywhere. The thought of her lips around my cock had me adjusting myself.

I had never done anything like what I'd just done. I must admit, it made it more erotic and fucking hot. I wondered if she'd be willing to reciprocate under the table, then realized that I'd never be able to stay quiet.

When I returned to the table, Bella, Alice, and Rosalie were already there. I sat beside Bella again as a waiter brought me another beer. Bella refused another drink and I asked her why.

"One of us has to drive back to our buildings." Of course, she was right. I watched and listened as my family asked her questions about her project, her education and anything in general. We continued quiet conversations amongst one another when dinner arrived.

Alice cleared her throat suddenly. "Guess what I found out while I helped in Payroll today, Bella?" Bella stiffened beside me and glared at my sister.

Alice smiled widely. "Saturday is Bella's twenty-eighth birthday." Bella glared at her and mumbled "payback is a bitch, little pixie stick." Jasper chuckled beside her, apparently he heard her, too.

"I don't celebrate birthdays, Alice," Bella stated firmly. "Besides we already made plans."

"Plans?" Esme asked Bella beside me.

"Yes, we decided to take a drive down to Snoqualmie Falls Saturday."

"We?" my father asked Bella. I rolled my eyes.

"We as in me and Bella and the _others,_" I answered my father.

"It sounds like you don't want us to join you, Edward." Emmett feigned that he was hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday this weekend?" I asked Bella, everyone's eyes on her.

She seemed reluctant to answer, but saw that everyone was looking at her. "I don't like to celebrate my birthday," she said softly, looking down at her lap. "Because it's also the same day my parents died."


	12. Touchdown Thursday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twelve—Touchdown Thursday**

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Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen**

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* * *

Edward**

My mother and Alice gasped in unison as Bella continued. I noticed her breathing become shallow as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Umm, they died in a car accident just outside of Forks, Washington. They were rushing to make a surprise party that Jacob threw me and my twin brother, Jordan."

She paused as her hand trembled to take a drink of water from her glass. My heart broke, it was clear that it still caused her pain.

"Wait. Bella what's your full name?" Jasper asked. There was mild curiosity and pain that flickered across his features.

Bella smiled at him. "I was wondering how long it would take you to recognize me, JJ." At the whisper of Jasper's childhood nickname, he placed a hand over his mouth in surprise.

"My full name is Isabella Marie Swan, but to you and the rest of the football and baseball team, Jordan's mousy geek sister, Izzy."

"You knew her, Jasper?" Emmett asked the question that was at the tip of my tongue.

"Yes, I used to hang out at her place with her brother. He was captain of the baseball team and star quarterback. He had one hell of future laid out for him until—" Jasper looked at Bella, his eyes softening as he pulled her in arms.

"Izzy, I had no idea. I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot for not recognizing you. You grew up out of your awkwardness." Jasper laughed stroking Bella's cheek. He looked at me then back at her. "This explains so much, too."

"JJ, you remembered," she said with a timid, watery smile. "To be honest, I just didn't want you to remember because now everyone here will want some answers."

"No one else knows here about Jordan and Brianna?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"Just Carlisle," she whispered. Bella sighed, looking at all of us. "Jasper knew my brother and me. In fact, JJ was the only one that didn't ignore me, but that's probably because I tutored him in English." She playfully bumped shoulders with him, causing Jasper to roll his eyes.

"My brother was the most popular guy in school and he used it to his advantage. In other words, he was a player." Bella's eyes saddened as Jasper nodded in agreement.

"My best friend and fellow geek Brianna and I were inseparable since were in kindergarten. She had a major crush on my brother, but he never gave her the time of day. I was glad that he didn't want her. I feared he'd ruin our relationship.

"Later, I left for college in California and Brianna went to school in Seattle. We still kept in touch and took turns coming to see each other. She had changed a lot while in college. Gained confidence, grew out her hair, she blossomed." Bella sighed and closed her eyes, as if the next words would hurt her. "During one of our vacations, my brother noticed her, flirted even. We got into terrible fights when I made it clear he needed to stay away from her. He was still the same womanizing pig that he was in high school and even worse during college.

"One vacation, Brianna announced that she was engaged to someone that she had been dating for over two years. I was so happy for her, thinking she had finally moved on. But I also knew that this would tempt my brother further. He loved a challenge, and I was right. During that vacation, Brianna's fiancé had asked me to help him with a surprise for her. I was going to help cook and set up a candlelight dinner in my house, but when we got there, Brianna and Jordan were there _together_. Brianna's fiancé was heartbroken and ran out. Brianna followed him."

Bella's eyes filled with tears, a few falling down her cheeks. "My brother and I got into the biggest fight, and I told him I hated him. I couldn't find Brianna anywhere and my brother didn't care. He tossed her aside like every woman before her, despite the fact that she meant the world to me." Bella held a hand over her chest as Jasper held out a tissue for her to take. It took several moments for her to gather herself. My family watched and waited in silence, sadness in all their faces.

"One night, I heard through mutual friends that Brianna's parents disowned her, ashamed of what she had done. Her fiancé ended everything and left across the country without a backward glance. Brianna had lost everything."

Bella placed her face in her hands and sobbed again. Jasper and I laid our hands on her back, in an attempt to soothe her. "I had finally gotten a hold of her, and told her to come over. I thought Jordan was gone already and that we could talk. I had no idea just how bad she was. She came in sobbing, telling me her life was over because she had hurt so many people. She pulled out a gun," Bella gasped and breathed deeply several times. Jasper and I tried to get her to stop but she shook her head.

"She was going to kill herself, and then my brother showed up. He looked so scared at that moment, as if he knew," she spat as her hands closed in tight fists, "that everything had finally caught up to him. We both tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. My brother was desperate at this point. The guilt was written all over his face as he lunged for her. The gun fell from her hand and fired, hitting my brother in the back. When she saw what had happened, she grabbed the gun and shot herself."

Bella turned toward me, but Jasper eased her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "About a year after the incident," Jasper said and continued Bella's story, "Jordan was finally released from the hospital. I was invited to the party but wasn't able to make it due to a family emergency. From what I gathered from other friends, a deputy showed up at halfway through the party with the news of their parents' accident. Bella's father Charlie had hit an oil slick and combined with the rain had spun out of control, hitting a tree."

Bella sniffled a little and pulled away from Jasper. "Sorry JJ." Bella hiccupped and wiped her eyes with a tissue. I watched the exchange feeling the smallest amount of regret that she wasn't in my arms instead of his.

"It's fine lil'B," Jasper said in whispered tones and kissed her forehead. "I wish I could've been at the funeral."

"I understood and so did Jordan," Bella said with a small smile.

"So what happened to your brother, Bella?" Alice asked getting up from her chair and kneeling in front of Bella to take her hands.

"He can't, no, he won't walk." Bella sighed. "He won't forgive himself for Brianna's death. The doctors said that he has some feeling in his feet but he won't even try."

Bella was still whole despite everything she had gone through. She had witnessed something horrific; her brother's body likely covered in blood and her friend shoot herself. Yet, she was someone that was functioning as a normal person. She was successful in both career and in life. She showed great compassion and love in everything she did.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. Everything makes much more sense now," Alice said pulling Bella in for a hug. I wasn't sure what she was referring to, but it wasn't the time to question her.

"Sorry, everyone, I ruined dinner," Bella mumbled after Alice pulled away.

"Don't be ridiculous, sweetheart," Esme said softly, tears glistened her own eyes. I was sure that she was thinking of the terrible car accident that had taken her sister, my parents, away from us. She looked at me with a small smile and nodded.

I sighed as I opened myself up to the memories for a few moments. My fingers sought Bella for some level of comfort, skimming the soft skin of her arm.

"I lost my birth parents in car accident when I was teenager," I whispered. "We were living in Chicago at the time." I looked at her then, as she took my hands into her lap. Her expression wasn't one of pity but hurt as she was sharing my pain.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she whispered and kissed my lips softly. "Let's go get some air before dessert." I nodded in agreement, thankful for the time to collect myself. Taking her hand in mine, we told my family we would return in a few minutes.

Bella and I walked hand in hand into the cool night air, and I found comfort in the fact that she was with me.

**Alice**

"Alice, this has gotten so much more complicated," my husband voiced beside me. He looked terrible as if he just found a friend and lost him all at the same moment.

"He's right. If you had known why she does what she does, I'm sure you wouldn't have agreed to try to match them together," Dad said with a grimace.

"This wasn't completely my idea," I hissed. "Jacob made it sound like she was really unhappy and that she needed someone like Edward does. She has to stop doing this." I flung my hands around.

"Has she voiced her opinion on this matter? Has she tried to get out of this?" my mother asked looking at me intently.

"The very first night they met. She was worried that they had too much in common," I whispered.

"Isn't this what we wanted?" Emmett asked a hint of anger in his voice. "For them to fall for each other?"

"Yes, honey, but do you see what I see? He's already is in so deep, he has no clue. But when the truth comes out, he won't take her betrayal well. You know this, especially after what happened with Jacob."

"If he ends this when they are both in so deep, it will break her," Jasper said in a whispered plea. "She's had so much tragedy in her life already."

"We have to stop this," Emmett said. "Before it's too late, I can't bare to see that poor girl broken like that again."

"We have to give her an exit," Jasper said. "But her charity project is so important to her. I remember Renee talking about creating a foundation for something like her project."

"Damn, how do we give her an exit without ruining that for her?" Esme asked.

"That's not the only problem we face," Rosalie said firmly. "Have you seen the way they are looking at each other? Do you really think Bella is still acting?"

"I say we give it a week," Dad said thoughtfully. "And if it seems that things aren't working out better for them both, I'll offer her a position as Charitable Projects Manager with our company. Her project can still come to fruition and they'll no longer work together."

"That still doesn't help with putting them back together if things end badly," Emmett lamented.

**Edward**

I pulled Bella in for a warm embrace, something we both needed. She wrapped her arms around my waist, resting her cheek against my chest. Her fingers splayed across my back under my jacket since she had forgotten hers inside. We stayed like this for a long time finding comfort in each other.

"Edward," she whispered and looked up at me. "I think we should drive up to the falls Friday night." Her eyes still glistened under the moonlight as I held her.

"Are you sure you're ready for that, love?" I asked, stroking her cheek with my fingertips.

"Yes," she answered simply and laid a tender kiss on my lips. I wanted nothing more than to spend the night with her. However, I felt that Friday night was going to be a turning point for the both of us.

"I'll look into reservations, but can we meet everyone else up there Saturday? That way Friday night will just be the two of us."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Edward." Bella smiled, then her body shivered when a cold wind blew in from the harbor. Though I didn't want to burst our bubble of solitude, I also didn't want her becoming ill.

"Bella, you'll freeze if we stay out here. Come on, they have an excellent dessert menu."

~oOo~

We had pleasant conversations the rest of the evening over wine and dessert with the rest of my family. I looked over at Bella, the pink in her cheeks had returned as she laughed adamantly with Jasper who was telling a story of her clumsiness in high school. And about the time she broke two knuckles punching Jacob in the nose. I really enjoyed discussing that incident, asking for details.

My parents called it a night a few minutes later, claiming early morning meetings and appointments. I had my suspicions that my father just wanted to get my tipsy mother home for some private time. I shook the thought immediately from my mind.

Emmett raised his hand over his head to get everyone's attention. We laughed as he waved it several times. "Hey there's a college game tomorrow. We should all get together at my house outside of the city and have a barbeque." Rosalie seemed to agree smiling and nodding along with her husband.

"That sounds like fun," Jasper said smashing his fist against Emmett's. "Football!" Jasper and Emmett grunted in unison.

"Oh, I know," Alice said excitedly. "Bella can wear Edward's jersey from high school, I'll wear Jasper's and Rose can wear Emmett's. With a few modifications of course." The gleam in her eye told me she was up to something.

"You have my jersey, Alice?" I asked. I had been wondering where it went.

"I have four of them in fact brother. Is it okay if I do some surgery on one and let Bella have it?" Alice asked with a grin on her face. I thought for just a moment and the idea of Bella wearing a shirt of mine sent pleasurable chills throughout my body. Of course, in my thoughts that was _all_ she'd be wearing, but this was one step in that direction.

"Go ahead, but it's pretty big." I shrugged.

"That's what the surgery is for, silly." Alice rolled her eyes as if it was obvious.

"Trust me, you'll like the end result, Edward," Jasper said with a big smile. For a moment, he looked completely dazed, lost to his thoughts. I did not want to know what he was thinking.

"This is going to be fun." Bella laughed, and I was happy to see that she was feeling better. Though I knew her past was not forgotten, but my family and I could try to make her laugh more often.

"So are we still on for Saturday?" Alice asked Bella timidly.

"Sure. My brother and I have dinner plans for Sunday night so Saturday at the falls is a go." Bella smiled looking over to Alice.

"Great so are we doing the club again Friday?" Rosalie asked.

"You guys go ahead," I said as I brought Bella's hand to my lips. I kissed her open softly and gave her a wink. "Bella and I are going to head out to the falls Friday afternoon. We'll meet you guys Saturday morning up there." I could feel Emmett's sudden glare. Alice and Jasper exchanged worried expressions, which I ignored.

After a few beats of silence, Bella cleared her throat and excused herself to go to the Ladies room.

"What the hell are you thinking, Edward?" Alice hissed as Bella turned down the hallway.

"What do you mean Alice?" I snapped back.

"After everything you heard, you're still going to try to get her in bed so you can toss her aside," Alice said gravelly.

"That doesn't sit well with me," Jasper said through clenched teeth. "Even before I knew who she was, just knowing something like that happened to her, I can't go along with this shit."

"Relax everybody. I really like her. Give me the benefit of the doubt here. Do you really think that's what I have planned?" I had meant it as a rhetorical question but everyone answered.

"Yes," my family said in unison. Jasper looked at me more like an over protective brother than my friend. Emmett looked pissed, Rose and Alice looked disgusted.

"I won't," I said. "I don't know if you noticed, but I do like her. More than I ever thought I was capable of. For God's sake, I called her 'love' and I had no idea. That has to mean something." I paused when the words I was saying started to sink in. "I mean, I can't even stand the thought of another man looking at her, much less touching her. I don't get jealous, but with her I can't seem to avoid it."

Alice gave me a small smile. "You're falling for her aren't you?"

I looked at her as if she had suddenly sprouted two additional heads. I couldn't answer her because she was right; I was falling for her.

_Fuck._

My family talked in quiet whispers until Bella returned to the table. "What's the matter, Edward?" Bella placed her small hand on my cheek before laying a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Nothing, love," I said putting a smile on my face to hide my discomfort.

"So Bella, you and Edward are heading to the falls Friday night," Alice said. "Sounds like fun. Maybe the rest of us should go, too." I scowled at my sister behind Bella's back.

"I just checked for reservations on my Blackberry," Bella said, smiling at Alice. "I managed to grab the last room at the hotel overlooking the falls, but you're welcome to check anywhere else." I blew a sigh a relief, grateful that at least they wouldn't be staying at the same hotel.

"No, it would be better for us to stay at the same hotel. Oh well, maybe next time," Alice said. "Maybe we should wait for another time so we can stay up there at the same time?"

Bella looked at Alice with a questioning glare. "Alice, Edward and I are heading up to the falls Friday night, we'll meet there at the hotel for breakfast Saturday morning," Bella stated, her voice firm and authoritative. Alice nodded and didn't push any further. "So we're still on for the barbeque tomorrow?" Bella asked, her facial features returning to calm and collected.

After another twenty minutes, we confirmed plans to meet at Emmett's tomorrow around six in the evening. That meant Bella and I would have to try to leave early from work again. She looked over her Blackberry and confirmed that she should be able to move things around so we could attend. We left the restaurant a few minutes later.

"Can we take a walk along the harbor before we leave?" Bella asked, my arms automatically wrapping around her waist as we started to walk toward the harbor. She leaned her head on my shoulder as I pointed out different types of sailing ships docked along it. A strong breeze blew Bella's dress around her slightly and she tightened her grip around me.

"Umm, that was a really cold wind and I, uh." Bella chuckled lightly as I remembered that she wasn't wearing any underwear. I instantly got hard as the thought. I pulled Bella closer tightening my grip around her waist.

"Come on love, let's get you warmed up." I cocked my eyebrow suggestively. Bella slapped my shoulder playfully before running in a full sprint toward the restaurant. I caught up with her quickly, picking her up from behind and throwing her over my shoulder.

"You're really slow," I said slightly out of breath. Bella protested, slapping my ass hard.

"You're going to give the valet a peep show," Bella whined and smacked my ass again. I was really starting to enjoy the sting of her hand on my backside.

I placed a hand on her ass, firmly holding the dress in place. I squeezed and smacked her butt once, earning a little whimper. "We wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?" I said happily as I walked up to the valet and handed him the ticket for Bella's car.

"Edward," Bella said tersely. "Put me down." I shook my head no and then she bit me. She fucking bit me. At the point, I was hard painfully hard.

"Bella!" I quickly put her down and she was grinning like the Cheshire cat. I rubbed my back touching the tender spot.

"Ha, bet that doesn't even scare you enough to stop me from taking you in my mouth." Bella smiled licking her lips suggestively. Fuck.

She opened her door as the car just pulled up, hopping in with a wicked smile. The other valet standing beside me mumbled under his breath something that sounded like "fuck." I nodded in agreement and flew around the hood of Bella's car to the driver's door, sliding in and pulling away within seconds.

I needed to get back to Bella's apartment immediately. I heard her laugh beside me, grabbing my thigh to calm me. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

"I would like to make it back to my place in one piece," Bella said looking at the speedometer. I was going about eighty-four miles per hour, it wasn't that fast.

"I would love to slow down but if we don't get back there quickly I'm going to combust," I said, flushing a little at my admission.

"In that case, I'll give you hand," she said in that fuckhot voice I had grown to love. "I wouldn't want for you to combust."

Bella smirked as one of her hands worked on the button of my pants. Oh fuck. Was she about to do what I really hoped she was going to do? Fucking road head.

My eyes widened as she winked. Her hands released my rock hard cock out of its fabric constraints, my hips bucked toward her touch. My hands turned white from the strain as they gripped the steering wheel.

I slowed down not wanting to kill us. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to concentrate on the road; I had never done this before. Bella gave me a smile as her fingers curled around me, stroking me. Her thumb ran over the slick head of my erection. My eyes rolled closed for a moment, and then suddenly, I felt Bella's lips on the sensitive head. I groaned not expecting it.

My eyes snapped to her, wanting to see the image of her hair spread across my lap as she took me completely in her mouth.

"Fuck, Bella," I said, struggling to say anything remotely coherent. Her hand stroked the base of my cock as her tongue swirled and pressed along the length. I sighed trying to concentrate on the road and watched what the nimble little minx was doing.

Her mouth was warm, wet, and fucking glorious. I bucked my hips unable to control the urge for more. She took me deeper, the tip of my erection grazing the roof of her mouth and throat. After another minute, Bella started to hum. The tiny vibrations went through my cock into every fiber of my body.

_Fuck._

I knew the moment her mouth was on me that I wouldn't last long. Just the thought that she was going down on me in her car, while moving, while illegal, had me undone and then I felt Bella's fingernails lightly cup my balls.

_Shit._

I was going to come like a fucking teenager. "Just let go Edward," Bella mumbled around me, taking me further into her mouth. She deep throated me several times and the tightening in my abdomen became too much. My body stiffened, my head pressed against the headrest, and I held onto the steering wheel for support. I let go, my body trembling as Bella's name left my lips in a chant. I came in a daze down her throat, as she swallowed around me. I watched as Bella cleaned me and then zipped me up. She gave me a lavish smirk and wink, licking her slightly reddened lips.

"Bella…that was…" I couldn't even finish my thought I was still basking in the afterglow of my orgasm.

Bella chuckled. "You should see the grin on your face." I shook my head. I had never had a woman give me road head before and found myself wishing Bella would do it again on the way to the falls.

_I'm one sick fuck._

The rest of the drive was without incident, but I was straining against the zipper of my pants. I had recovered in record time, taking pleasure in watching as Bella's dress rode up her thighs every time she shifted.

Bella sighed as we approached our street. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "What's wrong, love?" I asked and noticed a tear escape from her eye.

"It's just been an emotionally draining day." She wiped her cheek before looking at me. I pulled up to the security booth of Bella's building and awaited entry. We pulled up to her parking space a minute later.

"I'm sorry my family asked so many personal questions. It was obvious that you didn't want to say anything," I whispered wishing that my family didn't pry so much.

"It's all right. Once Jasper figured out who I was, it was only a matter of time before everyone would know." Bella sighed. "What was with your family when I came back from the bathroom?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well it just seemed like they didn't want us to go to the falls overnight." Bella shrugged, removing her seatbelt.

"Let's just say they're trying to protect you," I mumbled.

"Oh, protect me from you," Bella indicated.

"Something like that." I sighed and looked at her before she exited the car. It made perfect sense now, the reason why she tested me before, her reluctance on seeing me on a more personal level. Her brother's past and her own would make anyone unwilling to be with someone like me. Though I wanted nothing more than to have her in my bed, I couldn't do that if it would cost her heart.

"Bella, I understand why you're worried about seeing me. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. If you don't want to go overnight up to the falls then we don't have to."

Bella took my face in both of her hands, her eyes wide and fierce. "I want to Edward. I'm a big girl and I will make my own decisions. I will not let anyone else influence me." Bella placed a searing kiss on my lips. "Why don't you come up?"

"Are you sure?" Once again, I felt that I didn't want to push her until she was ready.

"I don't think we're ready for _that. _If you can handle just having a glass of wine and maybe just sleeping, then yes I'm sure. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be alone tonight," Bella whispered. She looked vulnerable for a moment but it quickly passed.

"You don't snore?" I teased, watching her eyes narrow.

"No!" Bella huffed, her face scrunching up in mock anger. I exited the car and swiftly made my way to her door and helped her out.

"I do talk in my sleep though," Bella mumbled blushing.

"Hmm, so you let your deepest darkest secrets come out when you sleep. Now this I have to listen to," I whispered in her ear as we made our way to the elevator.

Bella shook her head pressing the button to her floor. She looked at me folding her arms across her chest with a smirk. "Are you sure that you're capable of just sleeping in bed?"

I scowled then rolled my eyes. "You didn't say I had to completely behave."

Bella laughed. "It's just like you to try and find a loophole."

I smiled. I noticed that she still hadn't said I had to behave. "Bella, I will be on my best behavior. I promise," I said, grinning while pretending to scratch my cheek with two crossed fingers. Bella chuckled as the doors opened to the elevator.

Memories flooded back of the other night, and I visibly shuddered. Bella laughed, wrapping her arms around me. "I think I know what's going through your mind right now?"

"Hmm, it's hard not to forget it. It's permanently etched into my brain," I whispered pushing Bella against the wall by the elevator.

"Maybe we should recreate it," Bella suggested, grabbing a fistful of my shirt pulling me closer. She licked my bottom lip asking for access, but I stayed tight-lipped. She tried again, but I shook my head. When she pulled away, she looked confused. I stuck out my tongue and fought her tiny hands that tried to smack me. I caught her around her waist and brought my lips to hers. She tried to get me to open my lips, but I still refused, enjoying her small protests. She pushed me away grumbling under her breath as the doors opened to her floor. She gave me a glare over her shoulder, unlocked her door and left it ajar in her wake.

"Bella," I said warily walking into her apartment. "You know I was just fooling around."

"I know!" Bella called from her kitchen. "Did you want a beer, wine or some coffee?"

"I'll have a glass of wine," I answered and walked into the kitchen behind her.

"Oh, here is the bottle, the glasses are in that cabinet," Bella pointed to a cabinet behind me. "Have a seat. I have to get out of these heels. So I'm just going to change into something more comfortable."

She gave me a bright smile, handing me a bottle of wine. She balanced herself on one foot and removed one of her heels using me for support. With her heel in hand, she walked out of the kitchen and into her living area.

I grabbed the wine glasses from the cabinet taking off the stopper from the bottle. I poured some of the liquid into each glass and put the bottle back in the wine rack. I made my way to the living room couch and sat the glasses of wine on her coffee table.

Grabbing today's newspaper to give me something to do, I turned to the entertainment section. I heard the soft click of Bella's bedroom door open and the soft taps of her bare feet on the wood flooring. I looked up from the paper and my jaw dropped. Bella was leaning against the frame of her hallway entrance in a black, silky, sheer nightgown that reached mid thigh.

_Yeah, I was going to behave. _

I cocked an eyebrow then began reading again. "There is only so much I can handle, Bella. I am a man." Bella grinned before walking toward me placing a finger on the top edge of the paper pushing it down.

"What's so interesting?" Bella inquired with a sexy inquisitive look, and then she started laughing.

"Nothing really, considering it's upside down," I grumbled, knowing that she caught me. Bella giggled and slipped onto my lap. She had my complete and undivided attention.

"I'm tired," Bella said with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head then around my neck. I kissed her softly, smiling when she slipped her tongue over mine. After a moment she pulled away.

"You can go if you don't feel comfortable," Bella whispered, her eyes vulnerable again. I instantly wanted to put a smile on her face.

"Bella, I'm completely comfortable, and I will behave if that would make it easier for you," I said. I placed one of my hands on the side of her neck, the other caressing her cheek.

"We don't have to refrain from one through third base tonight." Bella smirked, her eyes darkening slightly.

"Hmm, you know what? I'm suddenly tired too." I kissed her lips as I stood on my feet and carried Bella into her bedroom.

"Edward," she gasped as we fell together on her luxurious bed. She sighed when I settled my body over hers. There was warmth when I pressed against her, soft skin and curves fitting against my own perfectly. Her fingers curled in my hair, tugging gently as she sucked on my bottom lip. I lightly thrust against her and felt how warm she was in between her thighs. I wanted my mouth on her, my fingers inside her and I wanted to feel her tightened around my erection. I sought her warmth with the tips of my fingers, moaning when I felt nothing but skin beneath the silk of her sleepwear. "Please." I felt her plea as a breathy sigh against my neck, her lips sucking on the skin below my ear.

"Hmm," I whispered, nuzzling my lips against her collarbone. "I think you've called all the shots long enough, love."

She moaned and arched as I pulled away with a small chuckle. "Damn you, Edward," she mumbled as I stepped off the bed to remove my shoes.

"If I remember correctly, you got off twice today."

She cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "If that's the way you want to play it. You did get off last night, once in the car and twice during work and after."

I glared at her playfully. "Maybe so, but two of those instances I was quite alone."

"I guess that makes us even," she teased, tapping her chin as if in thought. "Wonder what we could do that would guarantee our mutual release?"

At this point, I'd stripped down to my boxers, all the while the little minx watched me with appreciative eyes. She hadn't bothered to cover her blatant ogling, not that I wasn't doing that myself. I don't remember giving a little strip show to anyone before so I wasn't sure what to do next. I decided the best approach would be to play coy. She was after all still in her nightgown.

"I'm open to suggestions," I said with a smirk. I bent down enough to kiss her chastely, but I remained on the side of the bed. She wasn't having any of that and pulled me over to her. I huffed in surprise as I fell on her. "Easy there." However, the minute that her taut nipples, brushed against my chest, all hopes of teasing her to submission had gone out the window.

"I have a suggestion," she gasped as I laved a peak with my tongue. Silk, lace and skin were in my mouth and tasted so good. I hummed to let her know I was listening. "Get on your knees."

I groaned and took one last nip at her gorgeous breast. I sat back on my haunches and watched as she spread her knees nice and wide for me. I hissed out a curse or two, my eyes glued to the glistening, pink skin that awaited my tongue. I knew she was bare from the moment I felt her under my fingers, but it was so fucking perfect. I licked my lips, and I wanted to bury my face in between her thighs and remain there until she was completely under my spell.

Her hands ran over her bent legs, sliding up her torso to bunch her nightgown around her chest. I watched as she ran a fingertip around her nipple, groaning when I realized what she had in mind.

She smiled and licked her lips suggestively. "Oh, Bella," I said huskily. "You really are going to be the death of me."

She raised an eyebrow and looked from my eyes down to my cock. One of her long, delicate fingers danced around her navel before descending to where I wanted to be the most. She arched off the bed when she grazed her swollen clit.

"Fuck," I hissed and quickly took my cock in my hands. I wasn't sure how much of this I was going to be able to take. I wanted her on my mouth, feel her warmth on my tongue. She moaned as she watched my hand move over my erection. "You like that don't you."

She nodded and her breaths were leaving her in little short pants. "I want to see you come."

"Then stop," I said in a harsh tone. She stilled, but her hand was still on her pussy. "I want you to come on my tongue. So if you want this," I teased, bucking my hips into my hands. "You need to stop."

She whimpered and fisted her hands in her sheets. Propping herself, she tossed her nightgown to me with a smile. She gestured with her hand for me to go on. I grinned and fisted my hand around the base of my cock. I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined her hand on me.

"Mmm," she moaned. "Fuck."

I hissed as my thumb caressed the tip, my eyes fluttering open. She was watching my hand move over me, her hips slowly rolling to the same pace. She was flushed with a delicate pink all over her skin, and the scent of our mingled sex was fucking fantastic in the air.

"Do you have any idea how badly I want to be on my knees and take you in my mouth?" she moaned.

I let out a guttural moan and moved a little faster. She was fucking talking dirty.

"Mmm, I can feel you on my tongue, at the back of my throat as I swallow."

I wasn't going to last long as she continued to taunt me with her mouth even though it wasn't on me! It was amazing and terrifying what this woman did to me. She made me feel like a hormonal sixteen-year-old boy, who was trying out new things for the first time.

"I'd grip you a little tighter, love," she said in a husky sigh. "Maybe bring your other hand to play."

I groaned again and did as she suggested. My head lulled to one side as I tried to fight the onslaught of my release. However, all my senses were overwhelmed. Her smell, the sound of her voice, the touch of her skin against my hips, all demanding the release my body craved.

I felt her shift and my eyes snapped open to meet hers. She smiled and took a small hand towel from her bedside drawer. Kneeling in front of me, her eyes silently demanded me to continue. I groaned and rested my forehead on her shoulder, hers laying on mine. Together, with our heads bent down we watched as I stroked myself. A lone French-manicured finger lingered of the head of my cock, wiping at the wetness there. I watched avidly as she brought it to her mouth, moaning as she closed her eyes to my taste.

"Fuck," I hissed again and bit into her shoulder. I tasted the sweetness of her perfumed skin, the clean sweat that lingered there due to our activities. Suddenly, I felt the bite of her nails clutching my ass, as she cried out. I groaned at both the pleasure and pain, bucking my hips harder into the palm of my hand.

Her breathy sighs and whimpers filled my ear as the heat in my abdomen increased tenfold. Taking the fleshiest part of my ear in between her teeth, she whispered, "Come."

I frantically increased my pace, with another four tugs on my cock I came, hot, and fast. A growl that had been growing in my chest since I saw her spread out for me left in a guttural roar.

Soothing hands ran over my ass, along my spine and whispered in my hair. Slowly Bella guided me to lay over her, utterly spent. I felt her toss the towel she placed over me at the last moment aside, and then her arms surrounded me.

I was unaware of how long I laid there with her. My chest felt tight and I couldn't understand why. How was it that I'd experienced numberless encounters with other women and had never felt more satisfied than I had with Bella? I hadn't even fucked her yet.

Before I could analyze further I felt her squirm beneath me. Guilt rose hot and unwanted in my gut when I realized I hadn't made her come. The feeling didn't last long as lust and desire rushed through my blood. I nuzzled her neck, grazing my stubbly cheek against her soft skin. She moaned and turned her head to the side, which gave me better access. I laved the bite I had given her while I was lost in my release in an attempt to soothe the bruised skin.

"Edward," she whispered and pulled my head up to meet her eyes. "Baby, you don't have to do anything. We have time for more later."

I shook my head and placed soft kisses along her jawline. "I want to," I murmured. "I need to."

She moaned wantonly as I licked her top lip, gently nibbling it. She sighed and shifted so I could settle between her thighs.

Slowly I laid heated open-mouthed kisses along her neck and chest. Her moans gained intensity as I sucked and bit at her tight nipples. She arched and cried out as my fingers sought her warmth again. I groaned when I felt how much my mouth, my touch affected her. I took great pleasure when she tugged urgently at my hair as I raked my teeth over her hips. I kissed just above her softest skin and nuzzled her clit with the tip of my tongue. I slid my hands beneath her ass and brought her closer to my mouth. I moaned at her taste and at the slight pain of her fingernails raking through my hair. I settled fully on the mattress, curling my arms over her hips and thighs. I carefully settled her knees over my shoulders as I continued my exploration. The soft soles of her feet ran down my back and pressed hard when I sucked on her clit. She was soft, warm and wet under my tongue. Undulating hips moved in time with my ministrations. My name left her lips in a chant as my thumbs parted her fully. I feasted and lapped at everything she had to offer, and yet I knew I'd want more.

I moaned and hummed only enriching her experience as her body arched one final time. She cried out my name, screamed out a curse, finally giving in to me—to us.

I feared for a moment that there was no walking away for either of us, not until we saw this through. To what end, I wasn't sure what it would be.

~oOo~

I fought the urge to wake up, for my dreams were much too pleasant to end them so soon. I was aware that I was sleeping on something that was lightly beating, warm and soft. Then the memories of the previous night came flooding back.

Even though Bella and I hadn't had sex, we had still satisfied each other. My eyes opened realizing that I had fallen asleep on her exposed chest. I smiled against the tender flesh of her breast and laid a gentle bite on her rosy nipple.

"Edward," Bella moaned, her fingers gently tugging my hair.

"Yes, love?" I whispered against her skin, laying another nip and adding more teeth. Bella gripped my hair harder.

"Don't we need to go to w-work," She gasped as I took her nipple in my mouth, a couple of fingers pinching and rolling the other.

"I'm the boss," I murmured. "I say we go in a little late."

"Edward, please, you said we could remain professional." She tugged on my hair, forcing me to look at her. "I don't think being late because we're fooling around is being professional."

I rolled my eyes, at her stubbornness. I smirked when I saw the time. "You're right," I said with a sigh. "However, we still have a couple of hours. It's early." She looked over at her nightstand and smiled.

"In that case—" She pulled the covers over the both of us as she shimmied out from under me and took my morning wood in her hot little mouth.

_Best fucking morning ever._

We made it to the office on time and tried to stay professional but it was hardly working. I couldn't get enough of her. Every time a client left, before I allowed her to walk away I'd close the door and kiss her fiercely.

We met up with Alice for lunch together, so Bella could give her a key to her apartment. Alice was supposed to drop off the outfit she altered for Bella. The three of us ate comfortably as Alice retold some more stories she heard from Jasper about my Bella. She would blush, reminding me how her breasts flushed pink when I had her nipple in my mouth. This of course made me feel wholly perverted considering we were out in public.

After a long day at the office, I dropped Bella off at her apartment building so she could get ready. Neither of us had gotten any relief since the morning and we were both feeling a little tense. At least it was mutual.

After a quick shower, it was time to pick up Bella. Since Emmett and Rosalie lived on the outskirts of town, I decided to use my Vanquish. I parked in front of Bella's building and made my way up to her apartment.

I knocked and anticipation had my whole body thrumming and tense. I toyed with the frayed edge of my old navy blue t-shirt. I thrust my hand in the pocket of my dark blue jeans and leaned against the doorframe, the door opening slightly

All the breath rushed out of me as I laid eyes on her. "Hey, champ," she said with a hint of the hot voice I loved. She was dressed in my jersey but it wasn't my jersey any more.

Bella was standing in a navy blue and silver jersey with Trojans clad over her chest and my number "08." That alone was fucking amazing to see on her. The top hem around the neck was cut open, causing it to reveal the swells of her breasts in a dark blue bra. The jersey hugged the sides of her tight, curvy body perfectly. The hem of the top ended about two inches above her navel, the sight of all that skin made my mouth water.

Her exposed torso extended into a pair of skinny black capris. Her tiny feet in strappy white sandals and her toenails painted a shade of blue to match.

Bella topped off the whole look, with a sexy ponytail and black marks painted under her eyes.

"Damn, you can wear that out everyday and I'll die a happy man," I gasped pulling Bella in for a searing kiss.

"Wow," Bella breathed, pulling away as my lips ravished her neck and shoulder. "It's a good thing that Alice didn't make me wear a skirt."

I groaned at the thought as I grabbed handfuls of her ass. "Edward!" Bella slapped my hands away. She grabbed something from just inside her door, handing me a couple of grocery bags.

I gave her a long, lustful glare, not wanting to go anywhere but her bedroom.

"Later," she said softly. "Come on, we should go before we're late." She gave me a smile and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. I quickly turned the simple kiss to something much more promising. Bella moaned but pulled away reluctantly. She gathered herself, wiping at the lipstick that painted my mouth. I kissed her fingertips and held her gaze. After a brief moment she took my hand.

She walked ahead of me, and I watched her sweet hips sway, her cute little ass snug in her capris. My gaze lingered on her ass for several moments and then ascended. I fixated on something that made me feel both exhilaration and fear. MASEN –CULLEN was in block letters across her back. Something that showed everyone she belonged to me. I wondered if I could get her to wear it when Jacob happened to be around. I shook off the thought.

_She isn't mine._

Damn, what the hell was wrong with me? I couldn't get the woman out of my head. She was there every time I turned around. Her smile, her scent, her mind and her body: everything called to me. She was the embodiment of everything I never thought I wanted but definitely needed in a woman. I hadn't had much time to process everything I was feeling about her. I thought about the fact that I was calling her love without my knowledge.

I didn't know what it meant. Did it mean anything? We walked hand in hand into the lobby, and I was barely aware that we had gotten off the elevator. She led me to my car, I opened the door for her and moments later, I slid into my seat. I pulled into traffic and we rode in comfortable silence. Silence was good, because I needed to think. Bella played with the stereo, looking for something she liked to hear.

I watched her as she looked out the window. She seemed to be as lost in thought as I was. I wanted nothing more than to know what she was thinking. Was she feeling just as confused as I was?

Why was I so confused?

Yes, I wanted her in my bed, but now I wanted more. I wanted to wake up beside her. I wanted to buy her anything her heart desired. I wanted to see her walking in the sun, her hair blowing in the wind. I wanted to cook her favorite meal and make love to her on the kitchen table.

_What the fuck does all of this mean?_

"Edward," Bella said, pulling me from my thoughts. "Umm, is something wrong?"

"No love, I just have a lot on my mind," I said and kept my eyes on the road.

"Oh." I looked at Bella and noticed her hands fidgeted in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Bella, it's just that this," I pointed to her and then back at me, "is all new to me."

"You're not ready," Bella said softly.

"No, I didn't say that, it's just new."

"Was this the first morning you actually woke up in someone else's bed?" Bella asked causally but her eyes betrayed her curiosity.

"Yes and I liked it. I liked it a lot," I whispered. I'd never been open to anyone about what I felt and needed. I feared this level of comfort with her. She could get anything out of me.

"I liked it, too. Those were the most restful four and half hours of sleep I had ever had. I got more sleep than I've have had in eight hours of restless sleep." Bella smiled, placing a hand over mine on the console between us.

"Same for me," I smirked. "The best dreams, too," I confessed.

We arrived at Emmett and Rosalie's house twenty minutes later. Emmett's red jeep was in the driveway of the quaint, mocha colored, two-story house. I pulled up behind Alice's yellow Porsche along the curb. Emmett came out to greet us, helped us take Bella's bags, and led us to the backyard.

Bella and Alice started setting up the table outside as Rosalie and Emmett set out to light the torches that lined their backyard. I helped myself to a bottle of Pepsi and grabbed Bella a bottle of water from a cooler under the expansive patio.

I passed the bottle to Bella after she had plated a bag of tortilla chips. "Bella, why aren't you wearing the heels I left you?" Alice said as she placed tablemats around the table.

Bella's eyes snapped to Alice, narrowing. "I'm not wearing heels to a damn barbeque," she hissed, placing a bowl of fresh salsa on the table.

"I went through a lot of trouble putting your outfit together. If I left them there for you to wear, then you should've worn them," Alice snapped.

"No, Alice, I don't _have_ to. This," Bella pointed at her barely there top, "is over doing it. I had to put my foot down somewhere." She shook her head heading to the grill to help Jasper with the chicken. She looked over her shoulder with another withering glare, and then smirked. "Besides those heels you left for me were so last year." It seemed that Bella was actually trying to provoke Alice.

I looked at my sister, who looked as if she was both shocked and pissed. "Take that back, Bella!" Alice tackled Bella, who was momentarily stunned by her tenaciousness, to the ground in seconds. Bella quickly recovered and managed to turn the tables, mounting Alice. Damn she was agile and fast.

"I'm not taking it back!" Bella grunted before Alice pushed against Bella's chest. Bella stumbled off Alice and rolled into a crouched position. "Just admit you have a problem, Alice." She sneered and gave a little growl. Fuck. I was enjoying this a little too much.

"I do not have a problem with shopping," Alice screamed.

"I didn't say anything about shopping," Bella said clearly amused. "Do you think you have a problem with shopping?"

Alice balked and lunged at her. I realized then why Bella was taunting Alice. We all knew my sister had fucking issues with shopping. If it wasn't for the almost limitless funds at her disposal she would've been bankrupt.

Sometime during the struggle someone's jersey tore, the sound carrying out to all those watching. I stepped closer, wondering if I should intervene. It didn't seem that there were actual punches of any sort, mostly just rolling around and many rude words.

At one point Bella was holding Alice down in the similar mounting position that I noticed the condition of her clothing, unfortunately so had Emmett and Jasper. I could visibly see that they were enjoying this too much. Bella's top was torn almost further down the center, exposing milky white flesh. I tossed my beer to the side and made my way toward them. There was no way I was going to let those two fuckers see Bella's fucking tits. They were for my eyes only.

Before I could get to Bella, Rosalie sidestepped me and grabbed both Bella and Alice by the ears. They cursed and grimaced as Rosalie forced them to their feet.

"If the three of us were in prison, you two would _so_ be my bitches," Rosalie told them smugly. I made my way over to Emmett and Jasper. Emmett grinned at me, but I returned it with a glare. The asshole was looking at Bella's chest.

"Sorry bro, but that was fucking hot and you know it," Emmett said adjusting himself again. Jasper nodded in agreement. "Does she mount you like that?" I refused to answer and chose to watch as Rosalie tried to settle the matter.

"Alice, Bella's sandals might not be heels, but they're cute shoes regardless," Rosalie indicated to a still fuming red fairy.

"Bella, those heels that Alice bought were so _not_ last year," Rosalie rationalized with Bella who just rolled her eyes. The three of them exchanged glances for a few moments, soon huge smiles lighted up their faces. Suddenly they were rolling on the grass laughing their asses off.

_Women._

We watched the game, mainly keeping an eye the score. However, most of the time was spent eating and laughing at the earlier incident. Alice managed to fix Bella's top so she was no longer giving Emmett and Jasper a peep show. I was happy about that but I admit I missed seeing them, too. Bella had made some delicious salsa and homemade chips while everyone agreed that Emmett's barbeque sauce was the best on this side of Seattle. We all sat around the table, full and content, and the game forgotten.

"This is nice, Edward," Emmett said, taking a sip of his bottleneck. "I can't remember the last time you came over to my house to do this."

"I've been here before," I said with a roll of my eyes. However, I couldn't really remember a time since their house warming party four years ago.

"Yeah, a while back, bro," Emmett said, shrugging.

_Really?_

"Why the sudden change?" Alice grinned suddenly.

"Bella. That's the difference," Jasper pointed out. I rolled my eyes. I hung out with them. We hang out at the club all the time.

"Outside of the club or work, Edward," Rosalie said, as if she read my mind.

"Don't put too much thought into what they're saying." Bella rolled her eyes at me before walking toward the pool. She looked over her shoulder with a coy grin. "You might combust if you keep thinking so hard." She giggled, looking back at the pool. I watched as she took off her shoes to test out the water with her feet.

My family started cat calling at me, I glared at them and got up from my chair. I made my way toward the pool and wrapped my arms around Bella's tiny waist.

"Someone's being a naughty girl," I crooned in her ear. "I think you need to cool down." I threatened to throw her into the pool, getting her feet wet. She screamed at the top of her lungs for me to let her go. I intended to put her down beside me.

Unfortunately, Emmett had other ideas, and I didn't see him coming. He swiftly pushed Bella and me into the cold water. Bella gasped in surprise as she hit the water, I brought her up quickly by taking a hold of her arm. She spat out water, trying to recover from the jarring of the cold water.

"He is so fucking dead," Bella gasped, wrapping her arms around my neck. She wiped at her face and ran a hand through her loose ponytail.

"In total agreement, love," I whispered. "Give him all you got, baby."

I swam us toward the stair at the far end of the pool and pulled Bella out of the water. We both glared at Emmett while he was laughing hysterically in the patio. Rosalie shook her head and gave us a look of apology as she handed us both towels.

"Damn it, Emmett, you are so fucking asking for it," Bella said, her tone murderous.

"I'm so scared, Dr. Swan," Emmett retorted. He grinned and pretended to shake in fear.

"I'm not going to analyze you. That would be too easy on you," Bella replied menacingly. Fuck, she's hot when she's pissed. "I'm going to hit you where it hurts."

Emmett cupped himself.

I grinned knowingly. "I'm going to offer something to Rosalie that she won't be able to refuse. And to get it, all she has to do is refrain from giving you sex for fourteen days," Bella said smugly as Emmett's face fell.

"S-she won't do it," Emmett said. "She can't go without it."

Rosalie leveled him a lethal glare. He had just dug his hole deeper by saying it would be Rosalie unable to resist. I knew enough about Rosalie's personality to know she'd take that as a challenge. "I'm listening, Bella," Rosalie said with a raised eyebrow.

"Remember that car you've been dying to get yourself. The BMW?" Bella said sweetly.

"It's yours if you can prove that you two did not have sex of any kind and that includes oral, at the end of the two weeks."

"How do I prove that?" Rosalie asked. Emmett was trying to get her attention as he stood behind Bella but Rosalie ignored him.

"Easy, I can tell when someone is lying. It's a gift. In less than ten minutes, I will be able to tell if either of you are lying." Bella shrugged. "Are you in?"

"Yes," Rosalie agreed as Emmett groaned. "Starts now." Bella nodded and noted the time on Rosalie's watch.

"Baby!" Emmett said and took Rosalie into his arms, begging Rose to take it back.

Bella returned her attention to me and smiled. "We're leaving."

"We're not going into my car with wet clothes," I said, watching water drip from the sleeves of her top. My eyes continued to roam over her. Fuck, she looked good wet. Bella rolled her eyes and stood beside me.

"Here, hold this up." Bella handed me her towel and showed me how to hold it up to give her privacy. Then she took off her top. Emmett and Jasper's eyes popped out of their heads when they realized what Bella was doing. She had trouble removing her tight capris, cursing under her breath when they finally fell around her feet. She gave Alice another glare and my sister returned it with a little wave. With only her bra and panties on, she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her body. I held onto her waist and held her close so she could cover me. I was pitching a tent regardless of the cold water and it was straining against my uncomfortable wet jeans.

She held up my towel as I quickly stripped to my boxers. Rosalie and Alice were laughing quietly at our predicament. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my hips, grimacing when my cock wouldn't cooperate. Rosalie handed Bella a plastic bag for our wet clothes and Bella took my hand and led me to my car.

I had a couple of beers so Bella took the driver's seat since she hadn't had any alcohol. I sat in the passenger's seat and turned on the heat, since the night air turned cool. I glanced at Bella as she made her way down the street. I noticed that the white towel she was wearing wasn't adequately covering her panties and her breasts seemed about to pop out. I licked my lips at the thought of licking the few beads of water that still clung to her neck and chest.

Bella gave me a sidelong glance, her eyes lingering at my bare chest and torso. "We need to get to your place now," Bella said through gritted teeth. She gave me a little sexy smile, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth.

I ran a fingertip over a drop of water from her shoulder to her breast. "Fuck yes, we do," I growled. My erection twitched against the thin fabric of my boxers beneath the towel. I smiled wickedly at her, my fingers itching their way up her thigh. She moaned softly, but her eyes were on the road ahead of us.

We were already on the main highway and Bella was a little over the speed limit when we both heard it. Then we saw them—the blue and red lights right behind us.


	13. Falling Friday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirteen — Falling Friday**

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**Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen 9/2010**

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"Shit, fucking hell, cherries and blueberries," Bella mumbled under her breath as she slowly pulled over onto the shoulder.

I chuckled beside her at her description. "Excuse me?"

Bella blushed furiously before she answered. "Cherries and blueberries is something my dad and I called the lights on his cruiser when I was a kid." Bella chuckled lightly, then looked at our attire and groaned.

"Damn, I'm going to get a ticket or get arrested for indecent exposure." Bella sighed pressing her head back against the seat. She turned to look at me and smirked when her eyes reached my lap. "Edward, you're going to want to put that away."

"Not fucking likely with you," I said gesturing at her, "dressed or should I say undressed as you are." I pulled out my car registration from the glove department, passing Bella her purse so she could grab her license.

Moments later, a tap on the window alerted Bella to lower the window. Frigid air swirled inside causing us both to shiver. A bright beam of light filled my vision and right onto Bella's face. The light went from her face to mine then back to Bella. Slowly the beam slid down from her face and down her chest to her lap. I had to bite back a growl, it was a good thing I couldn't see the asshole's face.

_Great. A fucking pervert cop._

"May I see your license and registration ma'am?" asked a rather high-pitched voice.

"Of course Officer…." Bella trailed off intentionally.

"Officer Eric Yorkie, Miss," he answered, his voice low and husky.

_What the fuck? I'm right here._

"Eric Yorkie? As in school editor of Forks High Tablet?" Bella turned to give me a small smile. I internally groaned, because she knew him.

"Yes, do I know you? I'm pretty sure I'd remember you," he said as the flashlight lingered on Bella's chest again. _Fucking asshole! She's mine._

I bit the inside of my cheek to avoid saying any of my thoughts out loud. I watched as Bella leaned closer to the door, giving the fucking piece of shit fuzz a look at her perfect breasts almost spilling over the towel.

The officer looked at Bella's license with the light of the flashlight. "Bella, as is my junior editor of the Forks High Tablet?" The light dimmed as he bent down to have a good look inside and finally came into view. He was tall at least six-foot-two as he leaned in against the door. His face was somewhat babyish, a bit of roundness to it, with a big fucking grin. His hair was dark, slightly wet with the mist that was lightly hanging in the air.

"Well in that case, I think I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the car Ms. Swan," Officer-Soon-Going-To-Have-His-Balls-Handed-To-Him indicated. My fists clenched on my lap as I fought the urge to jump out of the car and pound the fucker.

Bella rolled her eyes and then giggled. _A fucking giggle? Really. She's flirting with him. _I knew she was obviously doing it to get out of the ticket, but did she have to do it so well?

"Officer Eric," Bella said quite seductively. "It's cold outside."

"I know," the fucking pig indicated, cocking an eyebrow. Bella giggled again.

_Hello, did they forget that I'm right __**here**__!_

"My brother," she said in the same voice she used to get her way. "I'm sure, would love to see you again Eric. It's been a long time."

Eric swallowed hard and shook his head a bit as Bella continued. "Guess who I caught up with again? Jasper, you remember Jasper?"

"Jasper and Jordan. Who could forget them? How many times did I end up in my locker because of those two?"

"One hundred twenty-seven times, but I always got you out, didn't I?" Bella said biting her lower lip, making her look irresistible. The woman would be able to get herself out of trouble in any situation; there was no doubt in my mind.

"That you did. It was the highlight of my day when you gave me a hand," Eric said wistfully. "Who's your friend there?"

The fucking asshole pointed the flashlight at me again. Regrettably, Bella turned on the lights inside the car. Officer Shit Face forgot all about me, his eyes on Bella's legs. Or perhaps she noticed her blue underwear was peeking out from under the towel. I could visibly see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed and he shifted from one foot to another. Something a man does to hide the fact he's adjusting himself.

"Is this your car Bella or his?" Eric snapped out of his ogling to meet Bella's eyes.

"It's his," Bella answered, gesturing toward me.

"I need your license, too," he said as his eyes met mine. I glared as I reached for my wallet that was drying on my dashboard. I pulled out my license and handed to him. "Bella, I need to ask, why are you dressed like that and have you been drinking?"

"No, I haven't been drinking," Bella said firmly. "Since I was going to drive home tonight. I'm dressed like this, because we went for an unexpected late night swim. Edward didn't want to get the seats wet."

"I'm sure that was his only motive," Eric indicated, his eyes once again lingering on Bella's lap. She giggled again. "Not that I blame him."

"So may I ask why you pulled me over, Eric?" Bella asked, batting her lashes sweetly.

"You were going about eight miles over the speed limit, and I noticed that…" Eric visibly flushed.

"You pulled me over because you thought that I was naked?" Bella asked, though she didn't look pleased.

"Something like that. Sorry." Eric scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "I'll be right back." The cocksucker finally went back to his cruiser.

"What the hell was all that about?" I said through gritted teeth.

"What? I don't want a ticket," Bella said as she tried to adjust her towel so she'd reveal a little more. _I don't think so._ Since I was wearing boxers, I pulled off my towel and handed it to her.

"Cover yourself, please." I growled. I could see that in the rearview mirror that Officer Prick was still in his car.

"Fine," she said softly. "I don't see what the big deal is." She took my towel, adjusting it around her lap. She opened her own towel, and I watched mesmerized as her breasts moved as she tried to cover them better.

"Edward, are you jealous?" Bella asked in a teasing tone.

_Yes. Fucking hell yes!_

"No," I answered too quickly. Bella looked at me and smirked. She pulled the towel off her lap and threw at me. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting for my reaction. I growled in frustration in her attempt to get me to admit she was right.

"Fine! Yes, I'm fucking jealous. Why does it seem that everywhere we go, there's some asshole eye-fucking you?"

I ran my hands through my hair and turned back to Bella who was still smirking. I rolled my eyes, then put my towel on her lap and tucked the ends under her legs. The whole time Bella was laughing softly

"There, much better," I indicated, avoiding her eyes. I was sure she was still amused by the situation.

She pouted. "Now how am I going to get out of the ticket?"

"If you get one, I'll pay for it, love. It's better than objectifying yourself."

"Okay." She gave me a bright smile as one of her hands rubbed my thigh. I looked at her in question.

"You're really hot when you're jealous," she rasped.

"That must mean I'm hot all the time," I grumbled. "Sure feels like it." I remembered all the times I wanted to fucking hit someone for looking at her.

We both noticed Officer Dick Head walk back toward Bella's window. He got one look at Bella's less revealing attire and his smile turned into a disappointed frown.

"Everything seems to be in order, Bella. I was talking to the operator back at the station and she said she'd kick my ass if I didn't get your autograph." Eric passed our licenses and paperwork to us. Then he passed Bella a pen and a notepad.

_Autograph?_

"Sure. Who do I make it out to?" Bella asked looking back at Eric.

"Can you make one out to Shelia and one for me please?"

"Of course, Eric. Tell Shelia my new book is coming out soon." Bella smiled handing the notepad and pen back to Eric.

"Will do, thanks," he said as he took his belongings from Bella. "I'll let you go with just a warning Bella, just make sure you slow down on the way home. Unless it's me." Eric winked and said good-bye before walking back to his car.

Bella pulled out onto the road moments later with a wide grin. I lowered the music so I could ask her about the autograph. "Books?" I asked.

"I have three books out that I have written over the past six years."

"Well, what are they?" I urged for more information.

"They're mostly relationship books and books that help with sex." Bella looked at me. "You won't find any of my books on your typical bookstore shelves. Plus, it's not under my name. I use a penname."

"What is it?" I asked, wondering if I can look up the information later.

"I'd rather not say," Bella grumbled. It was obvious she wouldn't answer me. I remained in a stony silence for several minutes until Bella huffed in annoyance beside me.

"Fine, I'll give you something to go on. One of my books is called 'How to Seduce Your Hot Neighbor.'"

I smirked and shook my head in amusement. "I'm your neighbor."

"Yes you are. But you live in another building," she said, looking at the road ahead. "Technically, that book doesn't apply to you."

We pulled into the parking structure of my building. "Come on up, Bella. We can put your clothes in the washer and dryer before you go home."

Once we got our clothing and towels, we rode up in the elevator. Thankfully, we didn't see anyone on the way up. Bella quietly walked beside me as I opened the door. I noticed Bella's hesitation to come inside my apartment. "What's the matter, Bella?" I took her hand, pulling her inside.

"Nothing," Bella said softly and walked further into my living room area. After putting our clothes to dry, I lifted her up and placed her on the washing machine.

"What's wrong? You've been very quiet." I brushed an errand strand of hair from her face and kissed her lips softly.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "You know so much about me and it's kind of scary."

"Why do you say that?" I placed my hands on her hips, the towel still wrapped around her, However, her thighs were almost bare and soft under my hands.

"It's just that I don't let anyone in so quickly." Bella averted her eyes from my own.

"I want you to tell me everything," I whispered. "I want to know you." I sighed, laying my forehead on hers. I wanted to ask something that had been eating away at me since the other day at the restaurant. "Bella, what happened between you and Jacob?"

Bella was quiet for a few moments and she looked like she was having an internal battle with herself.

"We grew up together, I never really felt the same way he did for me. We dated on and off in high school. We drifted apart our senior year. When I went away to college, we tried to continue our relationship the first year. I think it was hard on both of us though."

Bella pushed at me slightly, hopping off the washer. She took my hand and walked over to a plush chair in my living area. Taking a seat, I pulled her to sit on my lap.

"Anyway, I broke it off with him. I found out he'd become a player after the breakup, so we didn't really talk for a while. Then all that stuff with Jordan and my parents happened and I leaned on him for support. We were together for almost a year and he asked me to marry him. I said yes, but I became a little more independent, more confident, and he didn't like it. I realized then that he was holding me back, so I ended it."

"He didn't like you for you, in other words," I whispered, caressing her cheek.

"In a way yes," she said thoughtfully. "But to tell you the truth, I think he was in love with who I used to be. I was kidding myself, too. I loved him, but I wasn't _in_ _love_ with him."

"Thanks for telling me. Now I have another question and you don't have to answer it." I sighed, I really didn't want to know the answer, but I needed to help me understand her better. "How many men have you been with?"

Bella laughed, rolling her eyes at me. "I've been with ten men and I've had ten relationships."

"So you never had a one night stand?" I asked, surprised by the low number. Fucking hell I had her beat thirty times over. Bella shook her head no. Wow.

"I'm not going to ask you any questions about your past," she whispered, immediately easing my worries. I was afraid if she had, and I told her the truth, she'd run. "I know a little, so for now let's leave it as part of your past."

My head was confused as fuck. I actually wished that I'd met Bella a long time ago.

Bella kissed my cheek to get my attention again. "I need a shower. My skin is itching from the chlorine."

I smirked and cocked my eyebrows suggestively. She jumped off my lap and started backing away from me.

"Don't even think about it," she warned in a playful-come-to-me tone.

I jumped to my feet and stalked toward her. Her eyes narrowed and she took another step back. I lunged, grabbing a handful of her towel.

I tugged.

Fuck yes.

She squealed, laughing as she ran down the hallway in nothing but a sexy set of pale blue panties and bra. She turned and realized that she had nowhere to go, her eyes locked with mine. She stepped to her right and I blocked her, and then she managed to side step me. I removed my towel that hung low on my hips and threatened to snap it at her. She screamed as she ran back into the living room.

Her laughter was full and rich as she maneuvered her way around my furniture while I chased her. Fuck, I hadn't laughed so much in months. I finally managed to grab her from behind and threw her over my shoulder. Bella screamed and slapped my ass, which stung like a bitch.

"You said you wanted a shower and I'm going to make sure you get one," I stated matter-of-factly. I walked into my bedroom, bypassing the bed, toward my bathroom.

"Yes, but I didn't mean for you to join me." She laughed as she slapped by butt with both hands.

"You seem to love my ass," I said with a laugh. She rubbed my ass through my boxers and moaned. Fuck, yes, she really did love me ass.

"We have to conserve water, love," I said putting her down on the bathroom counter. "You know it's better for the environment." I positioned myself between her legs as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Well, I'm all for saving Earth," Bella said, playing with the hair on the nape of my neck. I kissed her soft lips, taking her bottom lip in between my own and sucking on it lightly before her lips parted enough for my tongue to slip in between. She moaned and wrapped her gorgeous legs around my waist. I felt the warmth of her pussy against my erection; _so good_.

"Fuck, I wish we were at my place," Bella gasped as I pulled away to nip a trail of kisses along her delectable chest.

"Why?" I whispered against the swell of her breast before gently sucking on her flesh.

"Condoms," Bella moaned as she arched toward my mouth. Did that mean she was ready?

"I have more than enough condoms," I said looking up at her. She winced, possibly by my choice of words. _Great, idea idiot, remind her that you fuck often._

She shook her head and I couldn't find anything to say to ease her worries. "Yes, but I'm allergic to latex so I need special ones." Bella blushed shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh," I said. Anything I had on hand would be useless, or more like harmful instead of helpful. "Are you worried about getting pregnant or an STD?" I trusted her enough to know that she wasn't stupid about having unprotected sex.

"I'm on birth control but you…um—"

I understood her hesitancy then. "I've been around the block and you don't trust me." I dropped my arms to the side and backed away.

"I want to trust you, Edward," she said softly. "Normally, I have anyone that I'm going to be intimate with test for me. It's really inconvenient to use even the special condoms." I nodded in understanding, but it still hurt that she didn't trust me.

"I test every six months and I always use condoms. Every. Single. Time. The last tests were last month. Clean," I said. She averted her eyes from mine, because my word wasn't enough.

"There's a towel on the bar there and a robe behind the door. I'll give you some privacy," I said, turning toward the door. I felt her hand wrap around my wrist, but I refused to look at her.

"Don't go please," Bella whispered, tiptoeing to kiss my lips. "I just need a little more time." Her arms wrapped around my neck as she licked my bottom lip. I sighed, groaning as her tongue delved into my mouth.

_Why couldn't I resist her?_

I gripped her hips to pull her closer. My hands slid up her back, the softness and warmth felt so pure and perfect under my calloused hands. I slipped my fingers under the straps of her bra, pulling them over her shoulders and unclasping it. I kissed along her jawline, her neck and bit her shoulder gently as her bra fell away. My fingers itched to explore every inch of her, touch her until she cried out my name. First, I had to see her all wet—again.

I lifted her up, carrying her into my glass shower with dual showerheads and several body sprays. I set her on her feet and fiddled with the handles to set the temperature and sprays.

I watched as Bella bent to remove her panties. "Fuck," I hissed and grabbed a hold of her hips and brought her to my chest. I have never known a need to be with someone so much before. Her soft curves molded against my hard body, we just fucking fit. She moaned as my cock bucked against the small of her back. She felt behind her, her fingers reaching under the waistband of my boxers. With splayed fingers, she pushed the last barrier between us down and tossed them outside.

I held her close as the warm sprays of water hit us from every angle. She pulled away with a sweet smile and started to dance around so that the water flowed beautifully down her body.

"Much better," Bella said smiling grabbing one of my bottles of shampoo. "Coconut?" she questioned me with a cocked eyebrow. But I saw a hint of something, anxiety, in the way she bit her lip. Fuck, she thought I had that for others.

"It's not what you think," I snapped, annoyed by her quick judgment. "I never brought them here." How was I supposed to explain to her that I didn't bring any of my previous fucks here so they wouldn't come looking for me later?

I shrugged my shoulders. "They're Alice's. She stayed a few weeks ago for a couple of nights when Jasper was away for business. She doesn't like to stay home alone."

Bella smiled a little too sweetly, and there was fire in her eyes. "First, I was merely commenting on the scent. It's not very masculine and you've never smelled like coconuts to me. Second, I knew it was Alice's brand since she had some similar to these when I met her last week to have dinner."

"Sorry, that I jumped to conclusions. It's just that ninety-nine percent of the time I don't know what you're thinking."

She only smiled and motioned for me to bend down. She took a small amount of _my_ shampoo into her palm and massaged that shit into my hair. Fuck, the tips of her fingers were magic. After a few moments, she asked me to tilt my head back to rinse my hair. She continued with her magic fingers while rinsing, until her fingernails scraped my scalp. It sent a jolt of lust so deep and feral I felt it from my head to my toes.

I hadn't given her a chance to react when I pushed Bella against the tiled wall. I towered over her, the top of her head only reaching my chin. I let the water overhead fall over me as I watched her tongue sweep across her lips. I groaned, grabbed her hips and ground into her. After a moment, I caged her against the wall, my hands flat against the tile on either side of her head.

Her breathing was as labored as my own as her eyes remained on mine. "You're not making this any easier."

"I can go, if you'd like," she said softly.

I shook my head and smirked. I slid a finger from her temple, along her cheek, down her neck where her breath hitched. I circled a taut nipple with the lightest touch, until she pushed her chest further into my hand. I chuckled and dropped my hand. She gave me a glare and rolled her eyes.

"Can we get back to washing you up, you're quite dirty," she purred. Oh fuck. I was positive that I'd always react to that voice with a twitch of my hard cock.

"In that case, I hope you'll be quite thorough," I said with a big grin.

"Hmm," she said with a naughty look in her eyes. "I can be very thorough."

I grinned again and gave her free reign to do as she pleased to me. She grabbed my body wash and a clean washcloth. She started to wash my chest, but had little room to move. She gave me a look and told me to move back a few steps.

I pulled away from her with a small sigh, so she continued in small circular movements across my body. At one point, she asked me to turn around, completely ignoring my cock. The little devil.

She continued across my shoulders and down my back, scraping her nails gently along my sides. I hissed in pleasure as the water washed off the soap and Bella added her tongue to heighten all of my senses. Her fingernails bit into my ass, causing me to buck and moan. I turned around and gave her a leveled glare. She smirked. On the tip of her toes, she stood with her hands on my hips, laying kisses along my jawline. I tilted my head to one side and allowed her to continue teasing the fuck out of me. Her lips moved over to my chest and she took one of my nipples into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it and then gently biting down on it. I groaned and, unable to take it any longer, pushed her against the tiles again.

I bent down and without hesitation pressed my lips firmly against hers. Her hips bucked against mine, my cock moving against the warmth and soft skin of her abdomen. I hummed as I gently bit into her bottom lip, sucking and nibbling on it. It always enticed the best reactions from her when I would do that. She moaned when I pulled away and I took the washcloth from her. I grabbed a fresh one and gave her the same treatment she gave me. It was wonderful in the fact that I had my hands all over her lithe, wet body.

She hissed when I finally took her nipple between my teeth, gently biting down on it. I wanted to hear her moan again, needed to hear her call out my name. I dropped the cloth and ran my hands over her hips, rubbing small circles on the soft skin there. Slowly, my hands glided down her torso to where I desperately wanted to be.

"Edward," she gasped as her hands traveled from my shoulders and down to cup my ass. I groaned in her mouth and slipped two fingers inside her. Another deep rumble escaped my mouth as I felt the slickness of her arousal thick on my fingers. The moment my fingers touched her, she groped me a little harder. My erection was almost grinding against her soft stomach.

"Bella," I gasped against her mouth as her fingers wrapped around me. I grunted as her thumb brushed over my sensitive head, thrusting my hips harder in her palm. She moaned as I added another finger, curling them inside her and hitting the right spot. She cried out my name, her ministrations quickened, matching my pace of the attention she was receiving.

One of her hands left me, cupped me, and then lightly tickled the sweet spot under my balls. The sensation sent a jolt through my cock and tightened my stomach. With fevered need, we both increased our pace, my tongue dominating her mouth as she clenched around my fingers. My thumb pressed hard on her clit. She stilled, pulling away and crying out again as she came. She trembled in my arms and she rode out her orgasm with the gentle rock of her hips. Her hand had stilled for a few moments as she tried to catch her breath. She was wet, flushed from head to toe and her eyes took on an almost sleepy, glazed look. Fuck, she never looked more beautiful.

She gave me a lovely smile, stroked my cock once and laid a kiss on my lips. I moaned and whimpered, wishing for more. She took my lip between her teeth as her grip tightened around me. I bucked my hips into her hand, groaning when her lips traveled down my jaw. With both hands, she helped me reach a blinding release.

"Fuck, Bella," I groaned as I came in the palms of her hands.

"I…that was intense," Bella gasped in between breaths then looked up at me.

"Hmm," I whispered, taking my time to kiss her swollen lips. "Yes it was. Let's finish cleaning up, then continue in a while." I took her earlobe in between my teeth gently nipping at it. Bella moaned and nodded. We touched each other as much as possible while we finished showering.

By the time we were done, we were ready for another round—what a round it was. Bella had used her tongue to stimulate that little ridge of skin under my cock. I don't think I ever came so hard in my life. The sensation was so overwhelming I was deeply sated.

I was lying on Bella's chest, still recovering by the naughty things the woman could do with her mouth. I felt her start to get up. I looked up at her in confusion. _Where did she think she was going?_

"Unless you plan on me spending the night, I should get going." Bella shrugged trying to roll out from under me.

"Of course you're spending the night," I said as if it was fucking obvious. Sure was to me. "You're not about to walk to your building this late at night."

"Are you sure that's the reason you want me to stay, champ?" Bella smirked, settling back on the bed, running her nimble fingers through my hair.

_Did she really have to ask me that now? How do I answer? Do I tell her that I like waking up to with her next to me in morning? Do I tell her that I love the way it felt to fall asleep with her body beside or under me? Do I tell her that I loved when she unconsciously whispered my name in her sleep? I don't know what to say. _

Thankfully, Bella decided to answer the question for me.

"I think you like my breasts as your pillow," Bella said as she shook her upper body a bit to emphasize the light bounce and softness of her full chest "Come on, admit it."

"That's obvious," I said with a wide grin. "Apparently I'm a breast man." I emphasized the point, nuzzling her breast with my lips and nose. She laughed but it quickly turned into a yawn. "Sleep now, love. I want to make sure we can leave early tomorrow from work." I laid a chaste kiss on her soft swollen lips.

"Not really," she murmured sleepily. "You only have one appointment and everything is already ready for the meeting with your parents on Monday. So if we get there by eight am, we should be able to leave around noon." Bella smiled. Damn, she really knew how to manage my schedule.

"Wow, impressive, Ms. Swan."

"We can grab a quick bite to eat, get ready and pack for the two night trip. We should get on the road by three and be at the hotel by four-thirty at the latest."

"That sounds great," I said in a soft tone. She looked so tired. "Wait a two night trip?"

Bella bit her lip nervously. "The hotel has a two night minimum. We don't have to stay Saturday if you don't want to."

"Of course we'll stay. I just didn't think you'd want to." I shrugged. I looked away, feeling overwhelmed again. I laid my head back down on her chest, listening to her breathing and her beating heart.

"Are you still angry about earlier, Edward?" Bella whispered as her fingers started to trace patterns across my shoulders.

"I understand, Bella. I haven't given you any reason to trust me." I sighed, my breath fanning across her, raising small, little bumps on her skin.

"If you say you just got tested and you're clean, then I believe you, Edward," Bella whispered, trying to stifle a yawn again.

"Sleep, Bella," I whispered from her chest and I started to hum an unknown melody. Bella's breathing slowed a few minutes later.

Soon Bella's rhythmic breathing lulled me to sleep.

~oOo~

The next morning, Bella awoke early to make breakfast. I was lucky that the groceries were delivered the other day, so she had a fully stocked fridge to work with. I quickly showered and got ready while she worked in the kitchen. I emerged from my bedroom to the fucking best scent, besides Bella, that I had ever smelled in my life.

My sense of smell took in the scent of hickory-smoked bacon, cinnamon and possibly cheese greedily.

I walked into my kitchen and was in complete awe of the scene before me. I watched as Bella moved from cabinet to cabinet, looking for plates. She was dressed in one of my white muscle shirts and nothing else. She looked so fucking good in the kitchen. And not just because she was wearing hardly anything, but because she looked like she belonged there.

"Don't just stand there gawking, Edward," she teased, as she threw me a wink over her shoulder. "Give me a hand and bring everything I plated to the table." Demanding little thing, she was. She turned off the stove and flipped an omelet on a plate. I shook off my thoughts and grabbed a plate filled with bacon and another with …shit…

_French toast. I haven't had French toast in years._

My mom was an excellent cook, and breakfast was one meal she always made sure I had no matter how busy I was or how much of a rush my dad was in to get to the office. It was the last fucking thing she cooked before she died, too.

Since my mother's death, I hadn't had breakfast. It was just too painful at first, and over time I had grown accustom to not having the meal any longer. I looked back at the perfect squares of French toast, and I didn't know if I wanted to hurl them across the room or kiss Bella.

She was in my field of view, looking worried. "I went too far, didn't I?" she asked as she bit her lip nervously. I shook my head and smiled timidly. Bella smiled shyly and cocked her head toward the small high, square table Esme got me when I first moved in.

I followed her and settled everything on the table. Bella smiled, taking a seat across from me. She waited as I took my seat and tried the omelet. I moaned, because it was fucking delicious. I greedily ate everything that I could get my hands on. Everything was delicious. Bella chuckled lightly, watching me.

"I don't think I ever seen anyone eat something I made with such enthusiasm," Bella said, trying to reach for the paper I had been reading for the last few minutes.

"I don't see why not. It's delicious, love." I leaned over and pressed my lips against hers. "Mmm, maple syrup," I said softly as I licked her lips softly, tasting the sweetness of her mouth.

"Edward," she moaned softly, and then she pushed me away. "Finish eating."

I smiled before taking a sip of coffee. I glanced at my watch and realized it was just past six in the morning. "We have plenty of time before we have to get to work," I said suggestively.

Bella giggled before sprinting away with my paper her cute little ass in full view as she ran into my bedroom. I could get used to this.

I ran after her, and, once again, I had the best fucking morning ever.

After she had left to get ready for work, I decided to call Alice. We bantered a little on what to get Bella for her birthday. If it was too much and it would upset her, jewelry would send the wrong message. Alice said that some lingerie would be the only thing that wasn't too overwhelming. She said that she would pick something out and bring it with her Saturday. She still tried to talk me out of spending the night with Bella.

_Mind your business little meddling midget.  
_

**Bella**

Edward had insisted that I wear one of his sweaters instead of the jersey when I had to leave. I only agreed once he admitted that he didn't want anyone ogling me while I walked over to my apartment. I smiled in triumph as I entered my bedroom and quickly found something to wear and stripped down to take a quick shower.

As I got ready, I went over the past few days. I tried to figure out when everything changed. And changed it had, because I was questioning if Edward was just a subject or someone that I was …

_Shit. What the fuck changed everything?_

I couldn't lie to him. One smirk and I would melt. One kiss from him and I'd pray internally, on my knees as I begged for more. I admitted to him about my past, maybe not everything but enough. I didn't think he'd like to know that Jasper was my first kiss or that Jacob was the first to take my virginity—technically. I was going to have to tell him about Jasper at the very least.

Jasper had been a real sweetheart the day I broke my hand after I had punched Jacob. After he and Jordan sent Jacob home with his tail between his legs, he held my hand while the doctor cast my broken hand. I remembered that Jordan had gone to get my parents from work. Jasper had become really quiet and thoughtful. I laughed at the memory.

—_**May of my Sophomore Year—**_

"_B, why did you punch Jacob again?" Jasper whispered, stroking a soothing circle on the inside of my wrist._

"_He tried to kiss me," I said with a snort. _

_Jasper laughed and looked at me. "Tried?" he whispered. I nodded. "So he didn't succeed?"_

"_No," I said and shook my head. "I wasn't about to have my first kiss from someone I wasn't really into, much less made mud pies together with."_

_Jasper laughed hysterically at my admission. Then he suddenly looked thoughtful again. "First kiss?" _

_I blushed deeply in embarrassment. Damn, my stupid mouth. He wouldn't tell everyone, right? "Yes," I whispered, averting my eyes from the intensity in his gaze._

_Jasper leaned in closer his eyes on my lips while my own looked anywhere but his. "May I?" he asked. I nodded. His lips pressed softly against my own, I closed my eyes, trying just to let it happen. After a few minutes, Jasper pulled away, looking at me with a blank look._

"_Anything?" he asked._

"_Sorry, felt like I was kissing my brother," I whispered._

"_Thank God, B," he said with a laugh. "I just wanted your first kiss to be from someone that loves you, even if I love you like a little sister." He looked serious again. "Just don't tell your brother. He'd pummel me."_

I was sure that Jasper would've told Alice. So I was going to have to tell Edward just to avoid it slipping out at a bad time. Then again, did he have a right to know such private things about me?

_Come on, Bella._ I admitted to him that I had only ten fucking partners. Yeah, but I didn't tell him that nine of them were subjects.

I spent the next thirty-five minutes before I had to leave for work, sorting through all the conflicting emotions, when I'd come to a conclusion.

_Shit, when had that happened?_

**Edward**

I picked up Bella in front of her building about forty-five minutes after she left my apartment. With her sitting beside me, her scent sent a shiver down my spine.

_God, she smells so good._

Bella was looking over the newspaper again, biting on an end of a pen looking at the crossword puzzle. "Four letter word for wet," she said out loud.

"Lick, suck, or kiss," I suggested.

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "Doesn't take much to know what's on your mind," she teased, shaking her head her hair fell hiding her face from me. My hand instinctively tucked her hair behind her shoulder. Bella smiled at me then returned her attention to the crossword puzzle.

"Shit, lick it is," Bella said and laughed as she filled in the answer. "Are you ready for tonight?" Her voice was soft so I looked over to see that her hands started to fidget in her lap, her crossword puzzle forgotten.

"What's happening tonight again?" I teased in hopes to ease her nerves. Bella slapped my arm and glared at me. She composed herself, crossing her arms over her chest, emphasizing the swell of her breasts in her fitted dark brown suit.

"Nothing of importance," Bella huffed angrily and shifted her hair to cover her face again. That annoyed me. She had to know I was just teasing her. Then I felt her hand creep up my leg then cup me. I groaned.

"Does that trigger your memory?" Bella asked, rubbing a little harder.

"Yes," I said and saw her eyes had a glint of humor behind them.

"Good, because in all likelihood, tonight will be a night you'll never forget." She winked and removed her hand from my crotch.

_Can you put your hand back, love?_

"Confident much?" I said, rolling my eyes. I may have sounded as if I was teasing her, but she was going to be right. The past few nights and mornings had been amazingly satisfying.

It wasn't just kissing her and touching her. I enjoyed all of it: waking up next her, her smile, her scent, even her coffee and I loved to talk and listen to her. I couldn't find just one favorite thing.

_Shit, I'm falling._

_No. I don't fall._

The morning passed quickly and we managed to leave work early. I dropped off Bella in front of her building with arrangements to meet in an hour at my place.

I quickly packed my suitcase when I decided to do something to make tonight more special. I called the hotel we were staying at and made some arrangements. Even though the room was booked under Bella's name I made it clear to them that I was paying for it.

I was sure it would upset Bella that I paid for our trip, but she was cute when she got angry_. _It'd be worth it just to see her reaction.

Bella knocked on my door at precisely two in the afternoon. The moment the door swung open, I pulled her into my arms, immediately inhaling the scent of her. _So good._

"Ready?" Bella smiled, placing a chaste kiss on my lips. I pulled her closer, my hands tangling in her hair, holding her face in place. I bit her top lip, a soft moan escaping her. I pulled away for moment.

"I love it when you moan," I whispered, tasting her lip again. Bella shivered slightly, but pushed me away.

"We'll never leave if we don't get going now," Bella whispered.

"You're right," I said softly, pressing my lips to hers once more. I grabbed my bag, locking my door and took Bella's warm hand in my own. I put my bag in the back of her car, noticing that Bella only had a small bag inside. Small bag for a weekend trip meant she only had taken little clothes. Or perhaps lingerie. I shivered at the thought as my cock twitched. _Soon._

The drive was less than an hour away, but traffic over the bridge was usually bad at the hour of our departure, so we knew it would take a little longer. Bella brought out her iPod, found a clear station and fiddled with her playlist for suitable music. She settled for Claire de Lune but lowered the volume when her cell phone rang.

"Hello," she answered, giving me an apologetic look. "Yes, this is her." She looked confused for a moment. "Really?" Bella's face lit up with a bright smile. "Great. I'll be in Monday to sign the paper work." Bella bit her lip and looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, one property will be used for a homeless shelter and one for SPCA. I'm still looking for funding but I have some ideas for fundraising. Thank you so much."

"No, the Cullen's are not involved with these projects as of yet. This is something that I'm just looking into. I'm thinking of setting up a foundation under my parents' names to help with various charitable organizations and projects." Bella was quiet for several moments as she listened to the person on the line.

Bella laughed. "Yes, I'll probably have to throw some kind of gala for it and some kind of concert. I have a few bands that I know I can get to help me. Wow, Phil, I would appreciate that very much. Let me get through the red tape first before you make any donations." Bella smiled at me before returning her attention to the caller. "Tell Mandy I said hello. I'll see you Monday. Bye."

"Sorry, Phil called me after our lunch meeting. He asked if he can help in my exploits to help the less fortunate." She shook her lovely head, smiling. "He just offered me two pieces of properties in the greater Seattle area that would be perfect for some projects I have in the works."

"I don't know what to say, Bella," I said thoughtfully. "I knew you were selfless and good person but this is—" I trailed off unsure of how to make her understand that she goes above and beyond than most.

Bella was quiet for a moment, as if she was having some internal struggle. "My mother Renee loved animals. Which I didn't think was possible since she barely could take care of herself. At least a few times a month, when I would come home from school, there'd be some stray there. She helped find them homes." I looked over to see there was something in her eyes that I had never seen before. The smile she wore while talking about her mother was breathtaking.

"Even though at the time money was an issue, she always contributed to the local animal shelter and volunteered. It was something we did together as a family. I know my brother and father just joined us to humor us but it was still nice." Bella looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "It's been ingrained in my life, to help, and it's something I do to help me remain close to my mother."

"What did your father do?" I asked. I wanted to know more about her, what drove her. She hadn't been this open since the dinner with my family.

"He was the Chief of Police in Forks. It wasn't easy being the daughter of the police chief," Bella said with a small snort. "Jasper and Jordan didn't help matters much either."

"It's still hard to believe that you have a connection with my family," I said as I drove onto the bridge, noticing that traffic was at a standstill.

"Jasper and my brother pretty much made sure I didn't have many dates in high school. The cop last night, the reason he spent so many hours in his locker was because they would stuff him in there because he liked me." Bella huffed, throwing her hands in the air. "It was beyond ridiculous. There was the time that they beat up Jake because he tried to kiss me. They went too far. However, no matter how they tried to make me be the good girl, I still managed to lose my virginity before I went to college."

I chose to ignore the clench of my heart of the thought of her with anyone else. I smiled at her little rant and the fact that her brother and Jasper beat up the butt sniffer. "They beat up Jacob," I repeated, my tone obviously showing my joy in the statement. Bella slapped my shoulder and scolded me.

"Jasper said during dinner the other night, that you punched Jacob. Why?" I asked since they never did clarify why.

"He tried to kiss me, it was junior year and Jacob attended high school at the reservation but the juniors were visiting La Push beach when he made his attempt." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"So your brother and Jasper went off on Jacob because he tried to kiss you," I concluded.

"That and I broke my hand. Jacob has a hard head." Bella laughed lightly. "There's something you should know about Jasper and me."

_Oh no._

"He was around a lot. I always saw him like a brother, but he was my first kiss," Bella said nervously. "I wanted to let you know, because I'm sure Alice probably knows by now."

"Umm, but nothing else happened?" I asked slightly stunned. I knew Jasper loved my sister deeply and would never do anything to hurt her.

"No, it felt like kissing my brother," Bella said, disgust apparent in her voice.

I laughed. "Good because that out in the open could get a little weird."

"Yeah, especially if Emmett got a hold of that information," she said, laughing. I groaned because she was right. If Emmett knew that little bit of innocent information, he'd blow it out of proportion.

"Relax, Edward. If he finds out I'll get Rosalie to agree to take another 'no sex' challenge." Bella laughed smiling deviously.

"You know that they will try to lie to you, don't you?"

"Nah, I know when someone is lying to me and when they're lying to themselves." Bella shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window.

"How can you tell if someone is lying then?" I was curious if she noticed any of my acts of deception.

"Well body language is one way and there are certain eye movements that give that person away. Then there is the professional liar."

"The professional liar," I repeated for clarification.

"The professional liar is a skilled actor that can deliver a line with ease, without any obvious signs, but even those have some kind of tell."

"Okay, you have piqued my interest. In what category do you find me in?"

"Easy, you're a professional liar with one tell-tale sign that I can see. You lie more to yourself than you realize, so much that you even believe what you are saying." Bella smirked cocking an eyebrow, asking me to challenge her analysis.

"Can you tell me what my tell-tale sign is?" I grinned. Bella shook her head, obviously not going to provide me with an answer. Besides trying to figure out what my tell was, I wanted to know what she meant by saying that I lie to myself.

"I know what you're thinking," Bella whispered. "The answer is that you've been lying to yourself for the past few days, that what you feel for me is nothing more than the need to get me in bed."

_What the fuck?_

"That's why you were unaware that you started to call me love. Did you know that you started calling me that Monday night?" Bella asked her eyes inquisitive.

_Since Monday…no fucking way. Did I?_

"At first I didn't think much of it, because it may have been because you were trying to get under my skirt. I expected it to stop after that night but you kept calling me that. Then you did it in front of others too, including your father and Phil Knight." Bella shook her head for a moment. "It confused me until I called you out on it and realized you weren't aware of it."

"What does it mean?" I asked curious of her thoughts. I wanted her opinion, because I was still confused as fuck and it also scared the hell out of me that Bella seemed to know me more than I knew myself.

"Just what I said earlier, you're lying to yourself." Bella sighed and it seemed that she didn't want to say anything further. That was confirmed when she changed the subject and asked about the trips that I went on with Carlisle and Esme to a third world country to help give out food and build new homes and clinics.

That topic of conversation managed to get us across the bridge and into the much lighter traffic outside of the city. We managed to pull up to the Salish Lodge that sat in the lush Northwest forest twenty minutes later.

At the hotel's lobby, they told us that our suite would not be ready for another hour. Bella and I decided to take a walk around the hotel's property. The hotel sat perched on top of a granite hill, the falls empting out about three hundred feet below into an emerald pool.

It was still early to get something to eat but we grabbed a bottle of water each and walked along the river, listening to the sounds of the raging whitewater fall. It was amazingly refreshing to be outdoors with an amazing woman.

It wasn't too warm or too cold; it was perfect. Bella had chosen to wear a delectable khaki skirt with a dark blue sweater with white piping that fitted snug. She finished off with a pair of white sandals. I couldn't help myself; I needed to touch her. I took her small hand in my own and held it. I noticed when I had that Bella sighed, and it seemed to be from contentment.

We found a light trail and decided to walk along it, watching other couples and families. We marveled at the beauty that surrounded us. Even though I appreciated the lush forest surrounding us, I found myself enjoying the beauty that was Bella.

I watched as her face lit up when a breeze teased her hair. She'd close her eyes to let the wind move around her. We moved closer to the river, walking along the quieter currents. Bella removed her sandals to feel the temperature of the water. However, she quickly jumped into my arms when she realized that it was frigid. I laughed at her and refused to put her down despite her protests.

"Edward," she whined, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck and shoulders. "Put me down, it's too long of a walk for you to carry me back to the hotel."

"Baby," I teased, kissing her temple. "You're as light as a feather."

I stopped when I thought I heard someone ahead. "What was that?" Bella whispered, looking around. We passed a small bend and noticed a little girl about four years old crying by herself along the edge of the trail. I put Bella down and we both looked in each direction but didn't see anyone. There was no one else on the trail.

Bella knelt down in front of the little girl. Keeping her movements slow, to avoid scaring her. The young girl had short, dark brown curly hair and a small, round face. She stopped crying for a moment to look up at us, her light green eyes glistening with tears. She gave us a watery smile, sniffling. I squatted so she was eye level with me and asked for her name.

"Becky," she mumbled. Bella sighed, craning her neck behind Becky to see if anyone was coming up the trail. I pulled out a handkerchief from my back pocket handing it to Becky.

"Becky, are you here with your parents?" I asked but the little girl gripped one of my fingers in her tiny hand. Bella chuckled beside me and gave me a little wink. It looked like I had an admirer.

"Yes and my brother Michael," Becky said, blushing when I smiled at her.

"Well, my name is Bella and this is Edward. Are you from here, sweetie?" Bella asked helping Becky clean up her cute face. Becky shook her head, her curls bouncing with the movement.

"Are you staying at a hotel?" I asked, brushing some hair from Becky's face tucking it behind her ear.

"Umm, it was a big room with two big beds," Becky replied, touching Bella's cheek with her free hand. "Pretty."

Bella smiled. "You are, sweetie," she whispered, giving Becky a smile.

"The lodge is the closest hotel here," I indicated to Bella who nodded in agreement.

"Has it been a long time since you lost mommy?" Bella asked as she stood up. She held her hand out for Becky to take. Her little fingers curled around Bella's and I smiled at how perfectly their hands looked together. Becky nodded and sniffled again. Poor thing, lost in the middle of nowhere, where nothing was familiar.

"Do you think we should go to the hotel and see if they can help us?" I asked Bella.

"It's getting really cold," Bella said. "I don't think we have much of a choice." Bella looked thoughtful for a moment. "Let's walk back, but slowly, maybe her parents will catch up. If not, we'll go to the hotel." I nodded in agreement.

"Becky, we're going to walk with you to a hotel. We'll look for mommy and daddy together," Bella said sweetly to Becky who nodded fervently.

Becky wrapped her other hands round my finger as we walked back to the hotel. We asked questions about her family, trying to figure out her last name but she either didn't know it or couldn't pronounce it. After several minutes on the trail, Becky started to yawn.

"Bella," I said softly to get her attention. I looked at Becky. "She's tired, do you think it will be all right if I carry her?"

She nodded and smiled. I told Becky I could carry her, she happily stepped into my arms. I picked her up and within a few moments she was out like a light on my shoulder. Even though I had my arms full, I took Bella's hand in mine. The soft look in her eyes should've alarmed me, but it didn't.

We were halfway down the trail when we heard someone scream. "Oh my God! Becky!" A frantic woman, a little older than Bella, ran towards us followed by a police officer and a man with dark hair.

"We found her up the trail about ten minutes ago," Bella explained as the woman extracted Becky from my arms. Even in her sleep, her cute, little lips twitched into a smile. Her eyes fluttered open to see her mother. She wrapped her little arms around her mother's neck, burying her face into her hair.

"Mommy!" Becky said excitingly. She turned when her father wrapped his arms around both his wife and daughter. "Daddy!" Becky hugged her parents fiercely for several moments. She looked over to Bella and me.

"Thank you, Edward. Thank you, Ms. Bella." Becky smiled. Her parents introduced themselves and thanked us. After answering some questions with the police, Becky's parents explained that their son had scraped his knee. While tending to him, Becky had wandered off.

As Bella spoke with her parents, Becky pulled me aside. She tugged on my pants leg, asking me to kneel. Her eyes widened, looking around as if to make sure our conversation was private. She leaned closer to me, to whisper in my ear.

"Ms. Bella likes you," Becky whispered, her tiny hand covering her mouth so no one could see. I looked over at Bella. Her expression was soft and she blushed before looking away.

"You think so?" I asked for confirmation from the obviously smart little girl.

Becky nodded. "You like her, too." Becky smiled then whispered lower. "Are you going to marry her and have babies?"

Suddenly, I was swept with images of Bella and me, walking the same path with a little girl with bronze hair and Bella's eyes, sitting on top of my shoulders. Bella's stomach was round with our son as we walked hand in hand along the river.

_What. The. Fuck._

I hadn't managed to answer, not that I could think of anything coherent to say. I heard someone behind me. "Becky sweetie, Edward and I are just friends," Bella said softly.

Becky looked at me then at Bella. She rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance. "If you say so, but you'll see," she said in a very Alice-like way.

Without waiting for some kind of reply from either of us, Becky walked over to her parents. Soon Bella and I were alone again.

Bella wanted to walk for a little longer to clear her head and admittedly, I needed to, too. The images that invaded my mind scared me to death. However, at the same time, part of me held onto the thoughts excitedly.

It scared me because after the sudden death of my parents, I never pictured myself becoming a father. I always felt, since that fateful day, that I wouldn't allow myself to be close enough to anyone to love them. No children meant I wouldn't have to put a child through the pain and loss that I suffered if something should happen to me. Besides my family, I never let anyone else in.

The one person I did was Jacob Black. We were best friends in college and he fucked me over by leaving my company, taking several of _my_ clients with him. I told myself never again would I trust someone besides myself.

Now that I had seen what it could be like, it was something I actually wanted.

_Now what? _I was going to allow myself to get lost in the weekend. I could analyze my thoughts that ran rampant later, and not when my senses were overwhelmed by Bella's presence. Her very essence influenced my state of mind.

We went to check in, shortly after sunset. When I gave my credit card to the front clerk, I had the pleasure of watching her stomp the way to our suite. She walked down the hall to our room door waiting for me, her arms crossed over her chest. I smiled innocently at her but she returned my smile with a growl. The sound went straight to my cock.

I put down our bags to open the double doors to our suite. Bella gasped as she entered the room, her reaction was what I had hoped for.

The king sized, four-poster bed was covered with white and burgundy duvets and various pillows. Just past the bed was a pair of frosted glass doors that were open to the bathroom with a large whirlpool tub. On the west wall was a fireplace with a roaring fire. Sitting in front of the fireplace was a pair of loveseats that screamed comfort. There was a small round table covered with white linens.

What made the room breathtaking was the fact that every flat surface had lit scented candles flickering in the darkened room. Pink rose petals dusted the plush carpeting making paths to the bed, tub and fireplace.

"I chose pink petals because the color that rises in your face whenever you're happy," I said as I closed the door.

Bella walked over to a candle closing her eyes and smelling the sweet smell of freesias. I dropped our bags beside the door and cleared my throat. She turned and her face softened, a delicate smile appearing on her lips. Her expression quickly disappeared and turned back to a snarl as she stalked toward me.

"Don't think that this makes up for paying, Edward," Bella indicated as her anger was once again on the surface. She pushed me against the door, and all I could do was grin. She slapped my chest with one of her small hands, the other resting on her hip.

_God, she's incredibly sexy when she's mad._

"Probably not, but this might." I leaned in and kissed her lips softly, holding her hand on my chest with my own. I tangled my free hand in all her soft hair, holding her in place as I sucked on her bottom lip. She moaned, parting her lips. I took the chance to taste more of her and deepened our kiss.

Bella pulled away, gasping for breath. My lips continued along her jaw, leaving a searing trail of openmouthed kisses down to her collarbone.

"You're extremely sexy when you're mad," I teased, scraping my teeth over her soft flesh at the base of her neck. Bella moaned pressing her body closer to mine.

"And you're so damn irresistible when you show that you have a heart," Bella mumbled.

I looked back into her eyes, caressing her neck and cheek. "I have a heart, Bella," I whispered. I did and I wanted her to know that. I took her hand and placed it over my heart as it beat frantically. "This is what you do to my heart whenever you're near me, whenever I think about you, hell, whenever someone mentions your name."

Bella bit her lower lip and nodded. She placed a delicately scented hand on my cheek, looking straight into my eyes. It was as if she was searching for something. Bella smiled as her eyes swirled with an unknown emotion.

"Finally," she whispered. I looked at her in confusion. "You've stopped lying to yourself."

I understood what she meant when she had said I had been lying to myself. She was right. I had been lying to myself. I tried to fight it. I tried to deny it. But I couldn't do it any longer.

_I have fallen._

Bella tiptoed, watching me as she pressed her soft lips on mine. Her hands ran up my chest slowly, wonderfully, before her fingers curled in my hair. I groaned, deepening the kiss and my arms wrapped around her waist to lift her up.

Her gorgeous legs wrapped around my waist without breaking our kiss. While one of her hands tugged on my hair, I felt her other unbutton my shirt. I quickly turned us, so that her back was against the door. She moaned as my body pressed more fully against hers. Once her fingers finished with the last button, she pushed my shirt off my shoulders. The fabric fell away, and I realized that if I wanted to get her clothes off, I needed the use of my hands.

I walked us over to the bed and laid her down so that my hands could run down the curves of her body. She was warm and so soft, trembling gently from my touch. I gasped for breath and pulled away. I wanted to make sure this was what she wanted, there was no going back after this.

I looked into her eyes, and it was as if she could read the concern and questions in my eyes. She placed her hands on either side of my face, smiling softly. "I'm ready, Edward."

That's all I needed. I kissed her soft lips again as I ground my hips against hers. She arched and moaned for more. I needed to see more of her, so I pulled Bella's sweater off and tossed it aside.

I pulled back to find her in a cute little white lace bra. I was a seemingly innocent bra, but so fucking sexy. I traced the edges of the lace with my fingertips, feeling the contrast between lace and soft skin. The rise and fall of her chest was mesmerizing, her nipples under the fabric hard and sweet as I pulled one into my mouth.

She tried to pull me away, but I refused to be rushed. I wanted to savor her. When she realized I wouldn't give in, her fingernails gently scraped and teased anywhere she could touch. I groaned, kicking off my shoes while my hands concentrated on her chest. Her back arched against mine as I sucked her lace-covered nipple into my mouth again.

I licked along the edge of the delicate cup, gently biting between her breasts where the little front clasp lay. I clutched the clasp between my teeth and it fell away. I tossed the scrap of fabric on the floor as another moan escaped her. My tongue swirled over her pert nipple and Bella gasped as her nails lightly scratched down my back.

_Fuck._

I groaned and bucked against her. She felt so good pressed against me. Her hands moved over my hips, to the button of my jeans. She unbuttoned them, lowering the zipper much too slow for my tastes. I pulled away, because I needed my jeans off immediately. She whimpered as I moved away, watching me as I removed my jeans, boxers and socks as quickly as possible.

She bit the corner of her decadent mouth, her legs rubbing against each other looking for friction. Fuck, she looked so good. I ran my hands up her smooth legs, laying a kiss here and there. I pulled the side zipper of her skirt, and she shimmied her way out of it. She giggled as she held up her long leg, the skirt dangling on her toe. I smirked and tossed it aside. I placed the heel of her foot on my shoulder, kissing her ankle gently. I nipped along her calf as my hands ran along the sides of her leg. She gasped as my fingers lightly traced the edges of the cute white lace cheekies.

"Edward," Bella moaned, arching her back off the bed. With one more kiss to her inside thigh, I dropped her foot and settled between her thighs.

"Yes, love?" I murmured. I licked and nipped along the edge of her panties, hip to hip.

"We've had almost three days of foreplay. I need you," she gasped in between breaths.

"Then another twenty minutes of foreplay won't kill you," I teased and she fucking growled. Shit. Once again, the sound went straight to my dick. I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to be inside her.

I curled my fingers under her panties and quickly removed them. I kissed her clit once, crawling over Bella's body. I pressed my lips on hers, kissed her hard and unyielding. Her hands roamed down my back, pulling my hips against hers. I groaned as my erection encountered the wetness between her thighs.

"Please," Bella whispered against my lips. One word and I'd do anything she asked.

"Condoms," I said, trying to hold myself back.

She pulled my chin up so our eyes would meet. "I trust you," she murmured. I groaned and kissed her deeply.

I inched the tip of my head slowly inside her. Instantly, I felt the warmth and quickly thrust fully into her. I knew it would feel different without a condom, but fuck, I had no idea it would be this good. When my hips met fully against hers, we both groaned at the sensation of being together.

I gave us both a moment to adjust to the feeling. I pulled back, watching my cock slip out of her and thrust back in. "Bella," I gasped.

I started moving inside her slowly, setting a steady pace. _God, she is so warm and tight. _Bella's lips assaulted my neck and chest before coming back to my lips. All mouth, lips, teeth and tongue. It was hot, wet and fucking perfect. Her tongue did a seductive little thrust in my mouth, causing me to thrust inside her harder.

I pressed my body as close as I could to hers, feeling every dip and curve of her delicious body. I took both of her hands into each of my own, our fingers intertwining. I held them over her head as I stared into her eyes. She looked so beautiful. Her eyes were soft, her cheeks slightly flushed, her lips alluringly wet. Words failed me.

She moaned with every swivel and thrust of my hips. Her name left my lips with the sensual movements of her body moving against my own. I started to feel the line tightening in my abdomen with every brush of her lips against my skin. I crushed my lips to hers, earning a moan that vibrated throughout my body.

Groaning, I released her hands to wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her up as I sat back on my haunches. Bella cried out my name from the new angle. My hands traveled from her hips, up her back and wrapped around her shoulders. I used her body for leverage and to guide her as she rolled and moved above me. She threw her head back, my name leaving her mouth. My own licked and sucked her neck down to her right breast, biting down.

Bella screamed and bit into my shoulder. I grunted and hissed in pleasure, thrusting harder and deeper into her body. We both panted, moved faster, looking for release. Her hands wrapped around my shoulders, her finger nails scraping the nape of my neck as I assaulted her chest.

I felt the line tightening further, my release closing in. Her walls started to tighten around me and I brought one of my hands in between our bodies, rubbing her clit with my thumb. She trembled, crying out my name when she finally let go. After a few harder, frantic thrusts I stilled, pulsing inside her. Her exhausted body went limp around me, her soft laugh in my ear. I laid us back on the bed, pulling her onto my chest. Bella hummed lightly and pressed a kiss over my heart. The gesture meant something to me, and I hoped it meant something to her as well. _Soon,_ I told myself.

"That was—amazing," Bella gasped, trying to stifle a yawn.

"You have no idea, love," I whispered as my fingers ran through her hair. That was the most intense and honestly, the best sex I had ever had.

"Hmmm." Bella hummed and yawned again.

"Get some rest, love," I said kissing the top of her head. "I'm not done with you yet."

Bella giggled against my chest. "I hope not."


	14. Sensual Saturday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Fourteen — Sensual Saturday**

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* * *

Betaed by Caroline Z. Masen**

* * *

Even though her words meant to tease, there was a hint of sadness behind them. I sighed as I held her, hoping my actions would convey something other than doubt. She was still afraid that I was using her. There was no way I could tell her how I felt. I wasn't sure what I was feeling was real.

Just about every fiber in my body wanted to believe that I loved her. My mind was telling me that I couldn't possibly fall for someone in a week. That same part of me was telling me that her mere presence was currently clouding my judgment and emotions.

What would happen when we're apart for a several hours or day? Were the feelings still going to be there when we see each other again? The idea of being away from her wasn't a pleasant one. I cared for her; that much was obvious. My mind was in utter chaos, not only with my own emotions but also with the thought that I had no idea how she felt about me.

I saw the emotion in her eyes, when we were together in the most sacred of acts. An act that I had taken for granted for so long. Never in my life had sex been so intimate and filled with so much emotion. There was something unreadable in her eyes. I wondered if she saw the same thing when she looked into my eyes. Those moments as I kept my eyes locked with hers, were the most intimate moments I had with anyone in my entire life. It had to mean something. _I swear I could see into her soul._

I shifted Bella so she her back fit snugly against my chest. I carefully pillowed her head with one arm and wrapped the other just under her breasts. She hummed a little while settling closer to me. After a few minutes, her breathing became slow and steady as she drifted off to sleep.

I allowed myself to be lulled by her soft breathing for quite some time. After a while, she started murmuring in her sleep. I propped myself up enough to see her facial expressions. When she whispered my name, her lips twitched to a smile.

"Edward, you snore," she mumbled, as she scrunched her little nose. I chuckled softly, brushing her hair behind her ear, kissing her neck softly.

I felt her whole body tense and her eyebrows scrunch as if she was in pain. "Subject—can't do it anymore—love." I watched her face, confused since her words made no sense. Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes, falling once they gathered. Why would she be crying in her dreams? I wanted to comfort her and hoped my voice would soothe her.

"Bella," I whispered in her ear softly. She responded with my own name leaving her plump lips.

"Can I keep you?" I asked before I could stop myself. I knew that I wanted her to be mine as I held her in my arms. Bella hummed, a smile pulling at her lips. "Forever," I whispered, pulling her closer to my chest.

"Forever," Bella responded. I smiled, kissing her neck. I was curious if she'd answer more questions while she slept. However, I wanted to be looking in her eyes when I did ask those. I wanted to know how she felt about me, but the promise of forever was enough to sate my curiosity. For now.

I fell asleep a few short minutes later. I wasn't sure how long we were asleep, but I awoke when Bella started to moan my name. I opened my eyes, realized that she was dreaming again. And it seemed like a really interesting dream. She moaned my name again and began grinding her ass against me.

_Fuck me._

She was having a sex dream with me as her co-star. I slipped my hand under her chest to caress the sides of her waist and along her hip. Bella moaned louder, the sound going straight to my lower region. She ground against me again, and I couldn't stop the loud groan that left my lips. Then I heard Bella giggle.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough," she teased and wiggled her ass against my erection.

I growled, nipping the back of her shoulder. She yelped and tried to pull away, but I wasn't about to let her go. With my free hand, I glided it along her thigh, moving it slightly to reach her between her legs. With two of my fingers, I teased her slit, finding her warm and wet. I hummed in appreciation as my lips bit and kissed her neck and shoulders. She moaned as I continued, inserting two fingers inside of her. Bella gasped and her hips bucked against me, causing me to hiss in pleasure.

"Edward," Bella gasped. "Please." My eyes rolled and I removed my fingers. I positioned the tip of my cock at her entrance, sliding my hand back to her hip to steady her body and thrust inside her. We both groaned, giving her a moment to relax again in my arms.

My hand slid over her soft breasts and felt the swivel of her hips. I groaned, pulling out and slamming back in. Fuck, she felt so tight in this position. I nipped at her ear and licked the sweet spot under it. Bella turned her head, seeking my mouth. I kissed her hungrily as one of her hands found the one I had tucked under her head and she intertwined her fingers with mine. Her free arm draped behind her, grabbing my ass, as I continued to thrust into her.

"Harder, Edward," Bella gasped, her hair sticking to her slick forehead. She never looked more beautiful to me. I released her hand and pulled my arm from under her head to prop myself up. My other arm wrapped around her waist to angle her upper body slightly away from me but brought her hips closer. I grunted and thrust into her deeper and harder than I had before. She met my every thrust with a swivel of her hips.

"Fuck Bella," I gasped as I felt my release approaching. I slid a hand between her thighs, pinching her clit.

"So good," she mumbled as she started to tighten around me.

"Good – fucking perfect," I managed to say in between thrusts. Bella cried out my name as she came, her body trembling against mine. She clenched so tight around me, it sent me over the edge moments after her. After I pulled out of her, I tucked her against my body. She turned to face me, laying her check on her clasped hands. She had a beautiful smile as her eyes met mine.

"You look entirely too pleased with yourself," she whispered. I grinned and shrugged.

"You looked pretty pleased, too," I said smugly, earning a cute little giggle. I rolled us over so I was on top of her, keeping her as close as possible.

"We should get cleaned up," I said, kissing her softly. "Dinner will be here in a little over an hour."

Bella nodded and squirmed out from under me. She slid out of bed and walked over to her bag. I watched her, unashamed of my ogling. She was mine, even if only for the weekend. She had a gorgeous body, and by the way she was moving around, she seemed to know it. Or perhaps she was just happy with her body image and didn't give a shit about what others thought. Either way, she had a fantastic ass.

I watched her beautiful bottom as she bent over her suitcase, remembering when I hand my hands on it. I wanted my hands on her again. The desire for her hadn't been sated. In fact, it had doubled since I'd been inside her. She walked over the soft red and pink rose petals on the floor toward the bathroom. I sat up to admire her retreating figure when she stopped to look over her shoulder.

"Care to join me, champ?" Bella asked biting her lip, giving me a come-hither look. I nodded and hopped off the bed.

"We should probably blow out these candles first," I said as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I kissed her softly and told her to get the tub started. Once she was done, she helped blow out all the candles except those in the bathroom. Before heading to the tub, I grabbed a pair of silk pajama pants and Bella grabbed a dark blue silk robe from her bag.

I turned off the water and climbed into the tub, waiting for Bella. I watched as she pulled up her hair in a messy bun and gave it a hearty shake to make sure it'd stay. She gave me a beautiful smile as I held out my hand to help her climb in with me. She settled between my legs and against my chest. She was warm, soft with beautiful flushed skin. I wrapped my arms around her body, her arms rested on my thighs. Bella hummed in pleasure as I rested my chin on her shoulder.

"This is nice, love," I whispered in her ear. We both sat quietly for a while listening to each other's breathing and the sounds of the nearby river and falls. It was tranquil and seemed to penetrate every fiber of my body. I couldn't remember a time I felt so relaxed.

My fingertips traced patterns around Bella's navel and abdomen with feather light touches. Her fingers did the same over my thighs lightly, driving me insane.

"So what's for dinner?" Bella asked, slightly twisting her head back so she could see me.

"Salmon, is that all right?"

"Mmm, yes," Bella whispered. "But are we going downstairs for dinner or are we staying in?"

"Staying in, but if you prefer to go downstairs, we can."

"No, I like your idea better," she said seductively, her hands gliding up my thighs. I groaned, my hips jerking slightly. Bella chuckled when she felt me press against her back.

"Already?"

"What?" I nipped at her shoulder when she laughed a bit.

"That's a pretty quick recovery," she teased, I could see the smile on her face.

"Only for you, love," I whispered in her ear before nipping at the crest of her earlobe. Bella moaned and carefully turned to kneel between my parted thighs. I watched as she slid her hands up my legs, stopping just before she reached my cock.

"Edward, thank you for coming with me," Bella said softly, cocking her eyebrows. Understanding the double meaning of her words, I lifted her up by her ass and guided her down onto my erection. Bella threw her head back, her eyes closing as her hips met mine.

I hissed and held her still for a moment. "I should be thanking you," I said huskily, enjoying the sensation of being inside of her again. I pulled out the rubber band that held her hair and it fell in waves down her back. The very tips of all her hair skimmed the surface of the water.

"Fucking beautiful," I growled, and I thrust up harder as Bella rolled above me. We both groaned before I coved her mouth with mine. Our lips moved against each other with a fevered need to be as close as possible. My hands roamed over her sides, her slick skin awaited my touch. I wanted to explore every inch with the tips of my fingers, the palms of my hands and my mouth. I could sense her desperation for me to do just that. It was all in the way she pulled on my hair, nibbled on my lip and in the sounds that escaped her.

Words were at the tip of my tongue, I wanted to say them but I was scared. I tried to stomp the need down. The urge to tell her how I felt was fast becoming too much. However, I knew it wasn't the right time. Saying it now, she would read too much into it. Possibly even think I said it because I was caught up in the moment. I shook the thoughts from my head as I pulled away from her lips to breathe.

I licked a trail from her mouth to the swell of her breasts, eliciting soft moans from her as she moved over me. I slid one hand from her waist to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, watching her. Her eyes were clutched shut, her breathing coming out in soft pants, occasionally her lips were part. When I slid my thump over her clit, her teeth dug into her bottom lip.

"God, you're beautiful," I whispered. Bella's eyes snapped open, looking at me. Once again, I met with the same emotion filled eyes as before. _Could she possibly feel the same way? _

Bella bent down, her tongue ran over my lips before pushing inside my mouth. Her arms wound around my neck, gently tugging my hair. I thrust harder and faster inside her, her need just as urgent as my own. With our mouths capturing the other's sounds, several minutes later, Bella trembled in my arms and I let go moments after.

We continued our bath with gentle touches and kisses, washing each other. I climbed out of the tub grabbing a hotel robe and passed a towel to Bella. She wrapped the towel around her body and started to blow out the candles on the tiled surfaces that surrounded the tub. She gave a sweet smile when she realized that I was watching her and gave me a chaste kiss. Then she dropped her towel and winked. I continued to watch her, ogle her really, as she hid her sweet pink nipples with her blue silk robe. The color was amazing on her, especially against her pale cream skin.

Bella started humming as she picked up her bag of toiletries and kicked me out. I rolled my eyes grabbing my black silk pajama pants and went to fix the bed to make it look presentable when dinner came. I threw on my pants, leaving the robe on. I went to stoke the fire and added a few more logs before I heard a knock on the door. I looked at the clock in the nightstand by the bed, noticing it was just a minute until eight pm. Dinner was just on time.

I opened the door; there was a young woman with long blonde hair with dinner on a large rolling cart. I gestured for her to come in but she seemed a little dazed or spaced out.

"Miss," I looked at her tag on her green jacket. "Irina?" I stated her name more like a question in hopes to get her to talk. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Close your robe, Edward," Bella snapped behind me. Her voice hinted with anger, brought the woman at the door to attention. I looked down and realized that most of my upper body was exposed. Well, perhaps that explained the woman, but did that explain the anger in Bella's voice?

I quickly tied my robe closed and once again motioned for the woman to enter. She shook her head and slowly walked in, pushing the cart to the small round table in the room.

I turned my attention to Bella who was standing just behind me. Her arms folded over her chest, her eyes were obviously glaring. Thankfully, not toward me, but at the woman that kept stealing glances in my direction while she set up dinner. I smiled.

_Bella's jealous. _

Unfortunately, Bella caught my smile and turned her glare to me. She closed the gap between us in a few strides and grabbed the back of my head. She only gave me a second to protest before her lips were on mine. It was harsh, needy and fucking hot. Understanding that she clearly wanted to mark me as hers, I groaned and wrapped my arms around her to deepen the kiss.

I was so caught up in the moment that I was already making my way to the bed. I had completely forgotten that there was a woman that was still in our room. Irina cleared her throat somewhere behind me.

"If you need anything, _Mr. Cullen_," Irina purred, clearly looking for a reaction of some kind. "Please don't hesitate to ask for me when you call for room service." _Does she really think I'll leave Bella for her?_

Bella tensed in my arms but looked at Irina with a grin. "I'll be taking care of all of his needs for the rest of the night. Thank you very much." Irina's eyes narrowed and she very noisily pushed the cart out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

I looked down at Bella with a smug grin. "Now you know how I feel."

Bella smiled, shrugging her shoulders while walking over to the table. There were three silver trays with domed lids, along with a bottle of wine in a bucket filled with ice. I took the liberty of ordering some chocolate covered strawberries with a small bowl of whipped cream. Bella moved to sit in a chair and removed all the lids from our dinner. She dipped a fingertip in the whipped cream, taking it into her mouth, mewling softly. _Fuck, that's hot._ I couldn't help but picture her licking the fluffy white concoction from my cock. I suppose I had unconsciously ordered it for that purpose.

Bella turned to look at me, amused no doubt by the look on my face. "Aren't you hungry?"

I nodded, walking over to her. I bent to kiss her lips softly and took her seat. "Sorry, I was just enjoying the view." Bella's cheeks flushed and she looked down at her plate.

We both dug in, suddenly ravenous, since it had been before noon since either of us had eaten anything. Bella and I talked comfortably about movies and I laughed at her love for action films, thanks to her brother and father. She had admitted to love to watch things explode. She had a love of science when she went to school. She never found the subject boring, but her calling was in writing.

She indicated while trying to find things to write and interviewing people, she learned she liked listening to people. That's when she decided to include psychology to her curriculum in college. After receiving her Bachelors in English Literature, she chose to continue her education to get her Doctorate shortly after her friend died.

"I notice whenever you talk about your brother," I started, nervous about the topic of conversation. "You seem really saddened but at the same time angry. Don't you have a good relationship with him?"

"I love my brother deeply," she said softly, picking at her food. "However, there are some things that are hard to forgive. I tried to get over what happened but…I still haven't." Her fork clanked loudly against her plate as her hands clenched on the table. "Lately though, I've been really angry with him. The doctors said that he's having some reactions to their tests. The tests indicated that he has some feelings in his legs, but he won't even try." Bella shrugged her shoulders pushing her plate away.

"I'm sorry," I said, wanting to sooth her and take her in my arms. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's all right," she whispered as she placed her hand on mine. "It was a good question, and I'm sorry I couldn't give you a more pleasant answer." Bella smiled and squeezed my hand so that I'd look at her.

"How about you," she said while she held up a strawberry for me. "I think I have an idea why you never let anyone get close to you but…" She trailed off and shook her head instead of continuing.

"It's all right," I said. "I guess you know it has to do with my parents?" Bella nodded in confirmation. "You have to understand, my parents had the perfect marriage. They loved each other deeply. I felt that love every time I entered a room they occupied. I was blessed to be a part of that kind of love, because they both loved me. When they died, I lost that feeling that enveloped me every time I came home. I was angry with them for leaving me. Then I was angry at myself for being angry with them."

I paused, unable to put into words what I was feeling. "You're afraid," Bella whispered as if cautious of my reaction. "You're afraid of you getting close to someone and of something happening to you. And that they'd feel that same loss that you had." I nodded gratefully that she understood me.

"I understand where you're coming from, Edward." Her hands took my face in hers as she pressed a soft kiss on me. "If your parents could see what you have become, do you think that's what they would've wanted for you?" She pulled away and took my hand again.

I shook my head. I know that my mother would've been disappointed. My father would be appalled at my treatment of women.

"I didn't mean to make you feel guilty," she whispered. "Sorry." Bella removed her hand from atop of mine, cursing under her breath. I quickly took her hand and brought it to my lap.

"It's fine, Bella," I said. "It's something I needed to hear. No one before you had ever understood me. You do, so easily it seems. It's a little unnerving, yet nice at the same time." I leaned in and kissed her soft lips.

After that, the tension from our conversation was lighter. We finished our dinner, happily feeding each other. I had no idea how erotic it could be to feed someone with my fingers. The feel of her lips sucking on the tips of my fingers was fucking hot.

I fed her a piece of cantaloupe when a trickle of juice fell and landed on the corner of her mouth. I held her chin still with fingers, leaning it to collect the drops of juice. She moaned softly and parted her lips for me. We kissed for several minutes, enjoying the moment and each other. Bella pecked my lips once more and grabbed the last two chocolate covered strawberries. She took a small bite, moaning in pleasure.

"So good," she moaned, hopping up from her chair. "I think we need some music." I realized I had forgotten my iPod in the car. Bella walked over to the stereo and found a suitable station. She slowly walked back to the table, bending slightly to wrap her arms around my neck.

"Are you done?" Bella whispered, her lips grazing my ear.

"With dinner yes," I murmured as I slid my hands up her smooth thighs. "With you, no."

I felt Bella's smile against my skin. "But I want more strawberries," she mumbled, taking the last strawberry from the tray and dipping it in the cream. She brought the bright red fruit to her lips, but then quickly touched it to my lips. With a mischievous look her eyes she spread the cream across my mouth.

I looked at her curiously about to lick my lips, however, her tongue darted out to lick the sweet concoction from my lips. I gripped her body tightly as she continued to lick at my mouth, and growled softly. Then she pulled away. I watched, confused as she made her way to the loveseat near the fireplace.

She gave me a beautiful smile as she laid her head on the arm of the couch and allowed her robe to fall open. Beneath the silk was her soft, creamy skin exposed to my all too eager eyes. I watched with rapt attention as she brought the ripe, red strawberry to her lips.

"Bella, I want that strawberry," I nearly growled, jumping up from my chair. Bella smirked and placed the fruit in her navel.

"Then come and get it," she said suggestively. I took that as an invitation dropping my robe and pants in seconds and stalking toward my prey.

**Bella**

Soon after Edward fell in an exhausted sleep, I woke up in the early morning hours. I was aware of the devastatingly handsome naked man who lay on my chest. I ran my fingers through his soft, bronze hair, enjoying the small smile at his lips as I played with it. He looked so peaceful as he slept.

I heard my phone chirp, an alarm to remind that we were supposed to meet everyone for breakfast soon. I made a grab for my phone before it woke up Edward. I wasn't quite ready to get up yet since I was a bit sore from our nightly activities. I had known that Edward would be a fantastic lover, I just had no idea he was capable of such stamina. What that man could do with those fingers while he slid in and out of me, had me shivering in anticipation for more.

I moaned when I felt Edward's breath hit my right nipple. I knew we had to get up so we could get ready. However, his morning arousal was warm against my thigh.

I sighed; so much had happened in so little time. It was so unexpected, and I hadn't given myself the chance to let myself think of the meaning of it all. Was it possible to fall in love in just a week? I had always believed in the kind of all consuming love, but had never felt it until I'd fallen for someone I had no business falling for.

When I had watched Edward with Becky, it stirred up images that both scared and excited me. I had seen our daughter, sitting on his shoulders, and me being very pregnant with our son. We walked the same path we had walked when we arrived at the falls. The feelings that the images invoked were overwhelming to say the least. I knew then there was no fighting what I was feeling.

_I am completely and irrevocably in love with him. _

There was only one thing I needed to do now. I had to quit.

**Edward**

I felt Bella's fingers lightly tug my hair as my desire for her to continued to rise as I stirred awake. I groaned softly and my lips met the supple skin of her breast. I kissed and lightly sucked on the delicate skin under my lips. Bella moaned my name, but in protest.

"What's the matter, love?" I asked, still skimming my lips and tongue over her chest.

"Edward, oh God," she gasped, her fingers tightening in my hair. I hissed, loving the feeling of a hint of pain. "We have eighty-eight minutes until we have to be downstairs for breakfast with your family. We don't have time for distractions."

"That is more than enough time for one distraction or maybe two quick ones," I murmured, taking one of her pert nipples in my mouth.

"Edward," Bella gasped again as one of her legs draped over my backside to pull me closer. I grinned against her skin and finished distracting the lovely creature beneath me.

Ninety-three minutes later, we were sitting with my family at a large table. Bella was sitting on my right, in a sexy, fitted red tank top and cute denim skirt. The weather was supposed to pleasant all day and I was very thankful for that. It only meant less clothing on the gorgeous creature beside me. The sun did something wonderful to her hair and skin as we shared a quiet moment together on the balcony of our room earlier.

We all ordered and spoke in pleasant conversation about the drive up and our plans for the day. After the initial hike and sight-seeing, we planned on hitting a local bar after dinner for some drinks and dancing.

"Bella, I know you didn't want us to make a big deal about your birthday but we still got you a little something anyway," Alice explained as she lifted from beneath the table a large red box. "Everyone here pitched in for these gifts." She passed it to Bella, who just rolled her eyes.

"I knew you couldn't pass up the opportunity to shop, Alice," Bella indicated under her breath. She opened the box and peeked inside. Her eyes opened widely and she squealed in delight. She clapped her hands several times, dipping her hands in the box removing a pair of red Ferrari sunglasses. I don't think I've ever seen her look so sweet and happy. I vowed then to make sure I saw her like this as often as possible.

She "oohed" and "awwed" at all the gifts that were related to her new car. Bella wrapped her arms around Alice and quickly descended on everyone else, thanking them all. She left me for last and I internally thanked my sister for including me in on the gift. I offered to take her gifts up to our room and grab her jacket just in case the weather turned for the worst. This was Washington after all.

**Alice**

Jasper and I enjoyed a wonderful drive up to the falls. I was both nervous and excited of what the day had in store for us. I knew that there was something between Edward and Bella and I hoped that it was what we were all waiting for.

We arrived a few minutes before our scheduled reservation and found Emmett and Rosalie already waiting for us. Once we were shown to our seats, we started to worry that Edward and Bella seemed to be running late.

When they had finally arrived ten minutes later, they were hand in hand. This wasn't something we were prepared for. Edward had never shown _any _public acts of affection in front of anyone, especially family. Though we had seen them kiss and dance together, handholding seemed so intimate.

Edward had noticed our stunned expressions and glared at us as he helped Bella into her seat. He mouthed, "Knock it off," before he bent down to kiss Bella's cheek.

Emmett turned to look at me and whispered, "What the fuck?" I shrugged my shoulders at the still stunned expression he wore.

The moment Edward had sat beside Bella, it was obvious he had taken her hand under the table. It was plain to see on their faces. They both looked like they were so happy and practically glowing. There was something in the way they secretly glanced at each other when the other wasn't looking. At one point, they were looking over a menu together whispering something about strawberries, laughing softly together. Then I recognized what I was seeing.

_Love. The kind that we always hoped Edward would find. Holy shit. It fucking worked. _

I could see that everyone was dying to ask Bella questions, but it wasn't the right time. The time arrived when Edward offered to take Bella's gifts to their room. As soon as he was out of earshot, Bella held up her hand to stop us.

"Wait," she said firmly. "I have something to say before you ask me anything. I quit."

"What?" We all said in unison.

"I'm sorry but I can't keep doing this any longer," she said almost wistfully. "I'm no longer working for you. In fact, I'm sure I stopped days ago. Now it's official." She looked at each of us, her eyes wide and appeared to be asking us to understand.

"Why, Bella?" I asked, watching her face soften as a small smile played on her lips.

"I don't want to break his heart. I-umm, what to see where this can go _for real_," Bella whispered.

"What happened last night, Bella?" Rosalie asked. She seemed to be asking for details, some I was sure that Bella wasn't willing to share. She wasn't the type to kiss and tell.

"Yesterday when we took a walk, we found a lost little girl," Bella said with a smile. "The way he was with her and some of the things he said just, I don't know, it made me question my motives." Bella shrugged before taking a sip of her orange juice.

"What kind of things did he say?" Jasper asked a touch of concern in his voice. I think he was worried that whatever Edward said may have been one of his patented –I'm-just-saying-this-shit-so-I-fuck-you-later sayings.

Bella smiled before she answered, "He said he had a heart and placed my hand over his chest. He told me how I make it beat fast whenever I'm near him, when he thinks of me or whenever he hears my name."

My jaw dropped, because that was definitely not one of his lines. I internally cheered. It's real! "So you're going to quit and then what? Walk away from him?" I asked wondering it meant when she said she was quitting.

"Yes, I'll continue working for the company and hopefully, he'll continue seeing me."

"What do you mean _hopefully_ continue seeing you?" Emmett asked. I was glad that I wasn't the only one to pick up the emphasis on the word.

"Well, I'm going to tell him the truth," Bella stated as if it was obvious.

"You can't do that, Bella," I said quickly.

"Why not?" Bella looked slightly taken back at my desperation. "I know he'll be upset with all of you, but I think he has the right to know."

"Not yet, Bella," I pleaded with her. "Please just wait to make sure that this is the real Edward." I wanted to see this Edward more. He hadn't been this happy, and I felt that if the truth was exposed, we wouldn't see him again anytime soon.

"If I wait, it will make it worse when I do tell him," Bella whispered as she turned to look at me. "The longer I wait, the deeper the feelings will be."

"Please wait," I said as I took her hand in mine. "I love this Edward. I think you should wait until you know for sure what he feels."

Bella seemed to internally struggling with herself. She finally sighed. "Fine, but I will tell him eventually and I am currently off this case. And I will give back everything you paid me already, including my expenses by Monday." My family and I nodded in agreement.

I looked over the partition that was near our table to make sure Edward was not there. I sat back down and kept my voice low. "Bella, just what do you feel for my brother?"

**Edward**

I walked toward the table where my family and Bella were waiting for me. However, I noticed before I turned the corner that Alice was looking over the partition, likely looking for me. When she was satisfied that I was nowhere in sight, she sat back down. I quickly made my way to hide behind the partition.

"Bella, just what do you feel from my brother?" Alice's voice carried over from the table. It seemed that for several moments time stood still as I listened with anticipation for Bella's answer.

"I'm in love with him," Bella said, her voice low and it sounded so vulnerable like she was bearing a secret that she was reluctant to share. Alice squealed, Rosalie laughed softly, Emmett cursed under his breath, and so did Jasper.

_She's in love with me._

My heart started beating frantically at the thought that the beautiful, soulful woman sitting beside my sister loved me. No, she was _in love_ with me.

I took a few steps back to attempt some sense of composure. I felt for some reason if she knew that I had heard her, it would ruin everything. Perhaps she wasn't ready to say the words to me out loud, and, really, I wasn't sure that I was either. I waited for a few moments before stepping around the partition, joining my family and Bella. I took Bella's hand in my own and kissed her, unable to hold back the smile that pulled at my lips. She fucking loved me and it was so clear in her eyes.

Once breakfast was done, we decided to all jump into Emmett's jeep. It was best to drive to the entrance of the trail that led to the bottom of the Snoqualmie Falls. It was a bit of a tight fit in his jeep, but hell, I was happy about it.

Emmett drove while Rosalie rode shotgun, Alice sat in Jasper's lap in the backseat and Bella sat on mine. I couldn't keep the smile off my face, and I couldn't keep my hands off her. I ran my hands over her smooth legs, deeply appreciating whomever fucking invented laser hair removal.

I offered to take her bag but she shouldered it. Inside were a couple of water bottles, sunscreen, her sweater, a pair of flip-flops and her camera. She seemed always to be prepared. I took her hand as we went up to a large wooden tower that overlooked the falls. Bella took a few pictures and smiled at the breathtaking view. Before heading out, she had me help her put on some sunscreen. I was all too happy to oblige, but she noticed my enthusiasm.

"Behave, Edward," she said with a gentle laugh. "There may not be a lot of people out today but there is no way we're going to do anything out there." Bella motioned to the trail that led to the waterfall.

_That's what you think._

"I'll be on my best behavior, love," I said as innocently as possible. I smoothed the white creamy sunscreen over her slender arms. She rolled her eyes at my obvious lie, but I could see the desire in her eyes. I really needed to find out my little tell or she'd always know when I was lying or trying to keep a secret.

Hand in hand, we walked with my family along the scenic trail. Emmett would run up ahead as if he was fucking high and jump up on logs, trying to lure us off the trail to check something out. The usual time for the hike was about an hour but with Emmett's distractions, it was more like two. Bella would sometimes stay behind, taking pictures of us walking ahead or of our surroundings.

Every once and a while, a breeze would play with her hair making her look like something surreal, someone that belonged in dreams. It was in moments like these that I had the strange feeling that she may just disappear like smoke. As if she was made of dreams, and I couldn't shake the feeling. I stomped the lingering fear, remembering her words to my family.

She loved me and there was no reason for her to leave me. I realized the only way this could go south, was if I fucked up.

We made it to the riverside and took the raised wooden walkway to get a closer look of the falls and the bottom emerald pool. Everyone wanted to get closer but that required walking a precarious path along the riverside over some jagged and wet rocks. I hadn't really liked the idea of risking Bella's well-being, but the girls were adamant.

Of course, to make matters worse, they hadn't wanted to walk all the way back down the walkway. They wanted to climb down from where we were on the trail. We had seen a few people used a large tree to climb down. I went first and Jasper sent Bella down, both of us guiding her carefully. I was glad that I took my position first, considering I could see up Bella's skirt.

Fuck, she had on a sexy pair of red lace boy shorts. I gulped and tried to keep my body's reaction from being noticeable. Bella finally got close enough for me to grab her and her body slid against me, rubbing against my already hard cock. She dusted herself off, gracing me with a grin that then turned to a smirk, and looking straight at the bulge in my jeans.

I shrugged and whispered, "I can't help myself after seeing what lies beneath that skirt."

She smirked! I had no idea why, but it almost seemed as if she had anticipated my reaction. Then I looked over her attire; a skirt wasn't exactly something most people would hike in.

"You did that on purpose," I hissed and adjusted myself discreetly. She only laughed and took my hand. We walked a few steps away from the tree as Jasper came down. Shortly after, all of us were exploring the riverside. Bella took several pictures before securing her camera back in her bag.

As we walked along the riverbed, I picked up a few smooth flat rocks and skipped them across the river. Jasper and Emmett soon joined me. It quickly turned into a competition on who could get the most skips before it stopped. There may have been a wager made and money involved.

So far, I was winning with seven consecutive skips. Emmett went last but only made it five skips before the rock sunk. We were about to exchange our winnings when Rosalie took a rock and skipped it across eight fucking times. The girls laughed, knowing that we were about to prove to them that a man could do it better. An hour later, we still couldn't manage to skip it more than seven times, so we gave up.

After that, we told everyone that Bella and I would meet them later tonight at a nearby bar. They decided to check out some antique shops and grab a bite to eat until then.

Bella and I took a more difficult route back to the hotel that was going to be about three miles long. Bella didn't seem to mind my suggestion and we walked mostly hand in hand. There were times that I had to help her up a steeper area and over logs or large roots. Occasionally we asked each other a question that helped us get to know each other a little more. Eventually, the breezes that fluttered around us were getting colder and Bella put on her jacket but left it unzipped.

When I realized that we had not seen anyone for well over forty minutes, I decided to try to make my earlier vision of taking Bella against a tree a reality. I knew I had to be subtle at first: I brushed my hand against her backside and would press my body against hers when I helped her along the trail. Bella asked for a break and stood against a tree as she took a sip of water from her bottle.

_Perfect._

I slowly stalked towards her, a look of determination etched on every feature of my face as I approached. Bella turned to look at me, her eyes widening, suddenly smoldering and filling with desire that rivaled my own.

_Gotcha._

Bella sighed and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. A moment later her parted lips invited me in as she crooked her finger for me to come closer. I gladly obliged, closing the distance between us. I pressed my body against hers, and placed one of my hands on her hip, the other against the tree beside her head.

"You will be the death of me," she whispered before taking my bottom lip and nibbling.

"What a fucking beautiful way to die, my love," I said against her lips and bent to plunge my tongue into her mouth. I groaned; it had been too long since I last had her taste on my tongue. If it'd been up to me, we wouldn't have left the hotel room all day.

Bella moaned as my tongue stroked over hers, her hands making quick work of the buttons of my shirt. Her fingernails lightly scraped over my chest as I kissed my way to the swell of her breasts that were peeking out from her red tank top.

I slid my hand from her hip up and under her skirt, tracing the lace shorts I had a glimpse of earlier. I desperately wanted to make her come with nothing but my fingers, feel all the warmth and wetness as I watched her come to completion. Sliding my fingers beneath the fabric in an attempt to remove her panties, Bella laughed and stopped me. I looked into her lust filled eyes, wondering why she was stopping me.

"Crotch-less, Edward, I knew you'd try something like this." Bella smirked as I groaned. One of her gloriously warm hands unbuttoned my jeans and reached inside. My head fell back as I grunted, the pleasure of her touch feeling too good to be true.

I grasped her wrist, stopping her. "Wait," I said softly. I wanted to check, confirm that her panties were crotch-less. "Shit, Bella. I can feel how wet you are," I gasped, no longer able to contain the need to be inside of her. "Hop up, baby."

I grabbed her hips and helped her jump so she could wrap her legs around my waist. Her fingers ran over my chest before curling around my neck. I hummed when I felt the warmth of her against the head of my cock. "So wet," I murmured.

"Only for you, love," she repeated the same words I said in the tub last night. I groaned and positioned myself at her entrance, and with a hard long stroke, I was finally inside her.

"Fuck," we both hissed in unison. I watched my cock slide out of her and grunted when I filled her again. "Need you so much," I said before I started moving with wild abandon. She met me and moved with the same intensity as I.

Bella's hands slid under my shirt, scratching the fuck out of me. The pain of her nails and the pleasure of me being inside her was an intoxicating mixture. I realized that in all likelihood scratches were forming on her back as I pushed her into the rough bark of the tree. Not wanting to hurt her, I slowed down and kissed her softly. Bella shook her head.

"Don't stop…Edward," she gasped in between breaths. "Don't worry, I fucking like it." That was all it took to break my control. I thrust harder inside her, hard and fast. Bella cried out my name, sending a flock of nearby birds to the sky.

"I don't know how much…longer," I gasped. "Come for me Bella." I tried to hold out my own release until I was sure she came first.

"Edward!" Bella gasped before her walls tightened around me. I grunted as I thrust into her hard several more times and came deep inside her. We took several minutes to catch our breaths, her head resting on my shoulder.

After I put her down, and zipped myself up, Bella started to laugh. "What's so funny?" I asked. Her laughing was a bit of a blow to my ego.

"You owe me a new jacket." She turned and showed me the back of her jacket, which was now torn in several places.

"Sorry," I mumbled. Bella rolled her eyes and tried to step away from the tree, but she wobbled. I quickly steadied her by wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You expect me to hike the rest of the way to the hotel like this?" Bella complained, trying to straighten herself out. I removed a fallen pine needle from her hair.

_Shit, I didn't think about that before I attacked her._

"Let's go," Bella indicated before pulling away from me. She was determined to go along without my assistance. I figured we had about another thirty minutes before we reached the hotel. After a while, Bella was succumbing to the fatigue setting in her limbs. I tried to coax her into letting me carry her but she was being downright stubborn, refusing each time I offered.

Bella and I finally could see the hotel in view when Bella finally threw in the towel and let me give her a piggyback ride until we got to the lobby of the hotel.

The moment we walked into the room Bella threw off all her clothes and flung herself on the bed.  
"So freaking tired," she mumbled as she pulled a pillow under her head. I laughed and was ready to join her. I scanned the room to make sure everything had been set. Bella hadn't even noticed the massage table set up near the fire or the present sitting on it. Poor thing had to be very tired; she was usually much more observant. I removed my clothes and crawled into bed beside her.

Bella moaned as I slid my hand over her hip. "Not again, Edward." I chuckled and pulled her closer. I wrapped the soft duvet covers around us, sighing from contentment.

"Sleep Bella," I whispered, brushing my lips along her neck. "I'll wake you up in a couple of hours so we can get ready to go." Bella sighed. She turned to face me, wrapped one arm around my waist, and hitched a leg over my hip. "Love, that won't help you get to sleep."

She kissed my chest. "Don't care, need you close to me."

"I need you close to me, too," I said softly, as her breaths slowed and deepened. I soon succumbed to sleep along with her.

A couple of hours later, we both woke up to a dreadful ringing alarm. I turned off the alarm clock and gave Bella her other gifts. She enjoyed the full body massage I gave her, and I loved all the sweet moans she made as my hands glided over her. She modeled the beautiful set of black lace panties and matching camisole I'd given her. She loved the feel of them so much that she decided to wear them under the simple black dress she chose to wear for our evening out.

We arrived at a bar called JJ's just after nine, my family already waiting for us. We ordered a round of beers. Bella opted to drive back to the hotel and drank non-alcoholic. Bella sat comfortably on my lap sometimes, wiggling her hips to tease me. We had been playing a little game to see who would give in first and demand we go back to the hotel.

_So far, she is fucking winning. _

I put my hand under the hem of her dress, rubbing small circles along her thighs as she spoke with Alice and Rosalie. Emmett and Jasper were discussing the current standings in NASCAR. A relatively new team was quickly becoming the fan favorite, thanks to his brilliant new car engineer that joined the team early in the season. I contributed by naming some of the driver's faults that included his cockiness on the track that had already led him to the wall a few times in his career.

"He may be cocky, Edward, but the driver to Team #186 is going to take the Sprint Cup this year," Bella stated firmly. "With that new designer and that crew, there is no way he could lose." She shrugged her shoulders and returned to her previous conversation with Alice and Rosalie.

_Fuck me, she knows about racing. _

That was an incredible turn on and didn't help my current need to take her right then and there. I tried to focus on the conversation, but Bella shifted on my lap and I had to bite back a hiss. I heard Bella chuckle lightly to herself.

I leaned in and whispered in her hear, "Fucking tease." I moved Bella off my lap to stand up, shifting my hard on. "I'll be right back." I walked toward the bathrooms, turning back to see the rest of my family getting up to dance. Something caught Bella's attention, a smile on her face as I walked into the hallway.

A few minutes later, I made my way over to the table but Bella was no longer there. The bar was congested with people as I scanned of the small dance floor. My family was all gathered in the middle but Bella wasn't among them.

I heard her tinkling laughter somewhere behind me, and I turned to look for her. I started to crane my neck to get a look at her, stopping suddenly when I saw her sitting on the lap of a huge Hispanic male in his late twenties with dark hair.

_What the fuck?_

One of her arms was around his shoulder, the other on his chest as if she was trying to balance herself. At the table, there was a pretty woman with dark curly hair and light brown eyes. There was another man among them that looked strangely familiar, both of them laughing at Bella for some reason.

I glared at them, feeling a sense of betrayal cut through me. I fucking knew it was too fucking good to be true. I couldn't trust anyone not to fucking hurt me. Bella's head snapped and our eyes met, confusion coming over her face. She looked over at the other people at the same table then back to me. I ignored her and walked right past her.

"Edward?" she called out to me. I was so fucking angry, angry that she had the nerve to come after me. I felt her behind me, and I went to the first female that looked good in my red-hazed vision. I grasped the woman's shoulder, turned her around and crashed my lips onto hers. She responded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hadn't allowed myself to lose my senses to her because the anger still ate at my sanity. I pulled away from the woman, ignoring her as she spoke. I turned to look at Bella and instantly felt the sting of her hand across my cheek.

"What the fuck, Edward?" She had the fucking audacity to be angry with me.

"'What the fuck?' you ask? How about the fact that you were fucking sitting in some asshole's lap when you're fucking here with me!" I snapped back.

Bella rolled her eyes dramatically and fucking laughed. "Look at the people at the table. The man sitting with the one I was sitting with is David Cortez, the owner of the club you fucking frequent so damn much. You remember him? I know you know David and his brother. Julian, his brother, caught me off guard and I landed in his lap. Let's not forget the woman sitting beside Julian is his wife."

_Oh fuck. _I knew I recognized David and Julian.

"You're not fucking ready, Edward," she said as she swiped at the wetness under her eyes. "If you were, you would have confronted me before retaliating that way." She closed her eyes and growled as her hands clenched. "We're not even exclusive but if you plan to fucking do that shit you just pulled whenever we have a fucking fight, this ends now." She gave me one last long look and walked away.

_Fuck. I knew I'd fuck this up. _

I turned away from her retreating figure trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. In front of me was my family, staring me down.

"I take it you saw how I just fucked up the-best-thing-that-ever-happened to me?" I asked walking back to our table.

"Yes, and you're a fucking idiot." Alice said, contributing to my already sour mood.

"Yup, a moron," Emmett said adding his two cents.

"I agree a –" I stopped Jasper before he finished his sentence.

"How do I fix this?" I looked at Alice for guidance.

"Well for one thing, you shouldn't even fucking be here," Alice said and rolled her eyes. "You should've followed her immediately."

She was right. Bella had confronted me moments after seeing me walk off in anger. Yet, I was still here after watching her. "Wait, shit, I have her keys," I realized as I felt the cool metal in my fingertips while I checked my pocket.

"Well hurry up, she may still be outside," Emmett said practically shoving me off my chair. I quickly made my way through the crowd, barely avoiding the woman I had kissed earlier. I ran out into the cool night air and scanned the parking lot for Bella's Ferrari. I sighed in relief when I found her leaning against her car.

I walked toward her, our eyes meeting from across the lot. She folded her arms across her chest and rubbed her arms. She had forgotten her jacket inside in her haste to leave. I stopped just a few feet in front of her, waiting for a hint as to what I should do. Bella looked at me, her chin held high, but her eyes betrayed her tough exterior. They glistened with unshed tears. I had caused those tears.

I pulled off my jacket, closing the distance between us and draping it over her shoulders. Without words, I silently handed her the keys to her car and opened the driver door. I waited until she slid inside and closed her door. She looked at me through the window and motioned with her head to the passenger seat. I nodded minutely before quickly making my way to the passenger seat.

She seemed to be thinking during the drive, choosing to take a longer route back to the hotel. Bella didn't say a word when I took her small hand in my own when we arrived. We walked quietly into our hotel room, and Bella pulled her hand from mine. Without a glance in my direction, she sat to the loveseat beside the fire, staring at the flickering flames. She hadn't looked at or uttered a word to me once since we left the bar.

I stoked the fire a few times and added two logs. I sighed because it was obvious she was waiting for me to start the conversation. I had no clue how to apologize to someone in this situation. I had never been in a relationship before. Even though we hadn't labeled what we were, I knew what I had done was wrong.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I whispered taking a seat beside her. "My pride and jealously got the best of me."

"That's no reason for you to jump to conclusions," she whispered. "The rest of your family recognized David and Julian. I can understand getting a little jealous but you should've said something. Instead, you went looking for another fucking conquest. How the fuck do you think that made me feel?"

"When it comes to you, I'm very protective and yes, I admit, possessive of you," I said, my voice rising. "When I saw you sitting on him, the only thing I could think of was that you were with someone else." I threw up my hands in frustration. "I even recognized David but couldn't place him because I was just so fucking angry." I stood up, unable to sit still and started to pace.

"It was more than jealously then?" Bella asked, looking at me from where she was sitting. It was too far for my tastes, but I didn't act on the need to have her closer.

"I thought you betrayed me," I admitted. Bella's face paled for a few moments before she closed her eyes, her features softening.

Bella extended her hand, which I quickly took. The moment I sat down, I pulled her into my lap, breathing in the scent of her neck. She sighed as my lips kissed along the crook of her neck and shoulder.

"Edward, maybe we should talk about this," she whispered as her head fell back to allow me more access. "I want you to trust me, but-" I placed my fingertip on her lips, not allowing her to finish.

"I do trust you," I said softly, pressing my lips over hers. "And I think I want you to be my girlfriend. No, I _know_ that I want you to be with me and only me. The very thought of you seeing someone else drives me insane. I want to make sure you're only mine." I hoped that she'd accept my apology and furthermore internally prayed that she would accept becoming my girlfriend.

Bella bit her lip, her cheeks coloring that delicious pink I loved, but her eyes seemed far away. It seemed like time was passing too slow. I had almost reached the point of having a fucking full on panic attack. I was mentally wiping the sweat from my brow when she finally said something.

"No more kissing or having sex of any kind with random women." I nodded in agreement. "You can't collect any more numbers." I nodded again. "Next time a man is near me, we talk first before you go all Neanderthal on me." I nodded again, giving her my best crooked smile.

"Does that mean yes?" I asked kissing the length of her neck.

"Yes, but first I want to tell you some-" I didn't let her finish her sentence as I slipped my tongue in her mouth. Bella moaned, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I shifted her body so she could straddle my hips. Her dress rode up her thighs, exposing them to my hungry hands. I kissed along her collarbone and lightly grazed my teeth against her skin.

"Wait Edward," she gasped. "I have to tell-" I kissed her lips before she could finish.

"Shh," I murmured, "you talk too much," kissing the corner of her mouth. "Must get to make-up-" I trailed off, kissing her deeply.

"Sex," Bella gasped, pulling away to breathe. "I'm still mad at you for putting these lips on someone else," Bella growled as she took my bottom lip and bit it. I groaned and pulled away.

"Well I'm still fucking pissed that you had this," I grabbed her ass hard before slapping a cheek once, "on someone else's lap, even if he's married."

Bella moaned and thrust her tongue in my mouth, grinding her hips against my erection. "Fuck Bella," I gasped. I tore the dress up and off her body and sucked in a breath, taking in the sight of the silk and lace fitted camisole. Hard, pert nipples called for my attention under the lace. I looked back into Bella's eyes.

"Happy Birthday, love," I whispered.

"It was the best one in a long time," she whispered. "Thank you."

I wrapped my arms around her tightly and lifted us both off of the couch. I gently laid her on the pillows and blanket we had left earlier on the floor near the fireplace. I kissed her lips softly, lingering there to enjoy the exquisite taste of her. However, I felt the need to put everything I was feeling into this kiss.

Within moments, I sensed Bella doing the same, as if she was telling me how much she loved me but without the words. Slowly, I slid my hands under her camisole, finding luxuriously soft, warm skin beneath. As I thumbed the hard peaks of her breasts, she lifted her top off. Within a few short minutes, our clothing lay on the floor, and we felt every line of each other's exposed bodies.

Once I slid inside her, it was slow and sensual. It seemed that neither of us wanted it to end. Our eyes remained locked as we moved together perfectly, anticipating the other's needs. With every movement of my hips, she moved hers in perfect unison.

Our bodies pressed so tightly against each other, that I felt her heart beating. I was sure that she could feel mine. I kissed her lips softly as I continued a steady pace. Her legs wrapped around me, the heels of her small feet pressing into my backside, increasing the depth of my thrusts. We moaned and passionately whispered each other's names. I wasn't just having sex with her.

I was making love to her.


	15. Serious Sunday

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Fifteen – Serious Sunday**

* * *

**Betaed by Caroline Z. Masen**

* * *

I made love to Bella a couple more times that Saturday night. I finally tucked her into bed when she succumbed to exhaustion. I decided to take a shower before going to sleep while the beautiful seductress waited for me in bed. As the warm water flowed down my body, relaxing my muscles, I thought of what I had done to deserve someone like Bella.

How was I lucky enough to have her become my personal assistant? Was it really just a stroke of luck? I felt that just maybe it was fate. What are the chances that someone over qualified like Bella would even consider working for me?

Sure, she had the project, but she used to work with Black. I was sure they would have helped make her project become a reality. _I'm just one lucky asshole, I guess. _She was with me, and I had to make sure I did everything I could so she wouldn't leave me.

_I can't fuck this up._

She met my family and she genuinely seemed to love to spend time with them. It almost seemed as if she completed our group, she fit with us. As I toweled off, I thought about how I could make up for my total fuck up the previous night.

She was right. If I would've just stopped and thought about it, I would've recognized David. It was just so fucking hard to see her in the arms of another man. It ate away at my sanity. How many times was I going to have to beat the assholes off with a fucking stick?

_Fuck the stick, a fucking bat._

I'd never had to worry about being jealous. The only time was with Jacob. When we met, we were both in college, he had a girlfriend back home, one that he was totally in love with, and I wanted it for myself. Now that I think about it, it was probably Bella. She did say they had a relationship before. Fuck. Shit like that fucked with my mind. He was probably her first.

Mental images filled my head and I wanted to hit something. It was uncalled for, and I knew it. It was just fucking hard to imagine her with anyone else. I let my anger subside by mentally going over the sensory overload of being with Bella for the past week.

_Much better. _I groaned because with those incredible thoughts in my mind I was painfully sporting a hard-on due to my trip down memory fucking lane. I tried to calm myself but it wasn't working, so I made my way to the bed occupied by my girlfriend.

_Whoa, girlfriend._

I climbed into bed with _my girlfriend,_ who generously turned onto her back, so I could take my usual place on her bare chest. She mumbled something that sounded like good night.

"Goodnight, love," I whispered. My breath ghosting over the skin of her breasts, forming goose bumps, which made me feel a bit smug. I loved the way I affected her.

"Behave, wait 'til morning," she mumbled.

I chuckled. "It is morning, love."

"You know what I mean," she grumbled, her fingers raking through my hair. I hummed, enjoying the sensation.

"Sleep then, sweet dreams," I whispered before placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Only when I'm sleeping with you," she answered but barely audible. It was as if she hadn't intended for me to hear.

I hadn't said anything. I was lost in thought, wondering if she had nightmares. I remembered she had seen her brother get shot in the back and then saw her friend shoot herself. She had to have still relived those memories while she slept. It brought me a sense of comfort, knowing that I was keeping her nightmares at bay.

I was about to settle down when Bella's cell phone started ringing. I grabbed it and looked at the screen – _Jordan._

"Bella, love," I said as I gently shook her shoulder. "It's your brother." Bella groaned, draping her arm over her face dramatically.

"Every fucking year," she grumbled as she extended her hand for her phone. I placed it in her hand and settled my head back on her chest.

"Jordan," Bella mumbled, looking at the clock on the nightstand. It was well after one in the morning. It was officially their birthday.

"You're drunk again, aren't you?" Bella asked barely above a whisper. It was obviously a private conversation so I moved away from her long enough to lie beside her. She gave me a look, one that clearly said for me to stay. I wrapped one arm around her waist as she sat up and rested her head back onto the headboard.

Bella sighed and laughed a little. "Happy Birthday to you too," Bella said a little more loudly. "No, I'm still here at the falls." She paused to listen, her eyes rolling as she shook her head. "Yes, I'm with someone. Yes, it's still PBC." Bella giggled softly, watching me. I rolled my eyes, remembering what Jordan called me on the answering machine. Playboy Cullen.

Bella snorted at something her brother said. "I know. But miracles do sometimes happen." Her voice had softened as she said this, her eyes wide as she met my gaze. I smiled, because she was exactly what I was never looking for, at least not consciously. She was a miracle in my book.

"Shit, I don't know. Why? Tonight?" Bella shook her head, averting her eyes. "But Jordan, it's too soon…he's never…please…don't…shit…fine!"

Bella covered the phone and looked at me. "Sorry, but mybrotherwantstomeetyou and insistsondinnertonight. What do you say?" she mumbled, biting her lip.

"What was that, love?" I looked at her confused by her mumbles.

Bella sighed and her shoulders slumped. "My brother wants to meet you and insists on dinner tonight."

"Dinner sounds great. See if he minds Jasper and Alice joining us."

Bella let out a breath that she was apparently holding. "Thank you." She gave me a chaste kiss. She spoke with her brother for a few more minutes, confirming their plans for later. After finishing with her call, I wrapped my arms around her body. "Are you sure you're ready to meet my brother?" Bella whispered.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have to be. What's he like?" I admit that I was slightly nervous at the thought of meeting my girlfriend's brother. It was a first for me. However, I had to make sure Jordan would accept my relationship with Bella. At the very least, we had to tolerate each other, and I was willing to do anything for Bella.

"Well, he's a little like Emmett with a mix of my dad. Who was a cop, so a little overbearing and over protective." Bella laughed then she sighed.

"What is it, love?" I whispered kissing her cheek.

"Our usual birthday dinner had always consisted of me, my brother, Julie, his nurse slash girlfriend, Jacob and Nessie." Bella scrunched her eye closed, averting her gaze from mine.

"Black is going to be there," I said, my body instantly tensed and my fists both clenched.

"Yes, that was the original plan." Bella looked at me and her eyes were wide with a little fear. Fuck, my jealous acts made her question her own judgment. I took a few deep breaths, allowing myself to relax, running my fingers through her hair.

"Were you planning on telling me if I hadn't been invited?" I grumbled. Bella nodded. "Well, if he behaves then I see no reason for concern."

"Oh, he'll behave, Nessie is going to be there and she'll keep him in line." Bella chuckled, then suddenly stopped. "Just to give you a heads up, my cousin looks a lot like me."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, almost the same face and eyes. Just the hair and our heights are different. She's a little shorter and she has more red in her hair than I do." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

I pulled away and looked at Bella. "That's fucking weird, you know that, right?" Bella gave me a small smile. "So are you telling me that Jacob is in love with someone that looks just like you?"

"You should've seen my brother's reaction to it. He was fucking pissed." Bella laughed. "He tried to run over Jacob with his chair and chased him around the apartment with a bat."

"Did he get in a few swings?" I smiled, tightening my hold on her body.

"Yes, it took some time for all of us to get used to the idea."

"And I thought my family was a little on the strange side." I winked as Bella giggled. She shifted on the bed to lay down and then looked back up at me. Unleashing those big brown eyes fringed with thick long lashes. I shivered; one look and I was hers.

I pressed my lips on hers hard, earning a moan for my eagerness. I pulled away after a few moments, mainly because I knew she needed to rest. "Sleep," I reminded her and myself.

Bella smirked then licked her lips. She had to know that the gesture gets me every fucking time. "You know how I said 'wait 'til morning?'"

"Yes," I said, itching to touch her more.

Bella shifted lower on the bed and threw the sheets off her body. "It's morning." My eyes rolled and just as quickly, I was hovering over her fucking delectable body. What a morning. Fuck morning, what a perfect weekend.

_Count them, eighteen times. That's right eighteen times did I make her come. _

We managed to make it back to Bella's place a little before noon. She was exhausted but said that she had to go to the grocery store since she was cooking dinner. I offered to help but she shook her head. She said I would only distract her.

I was disappointed. I had to admit I wanted to watch her cook again. The way she was dressed the last time I saw her cook would be even better. Bella turned around and cleared her throat. She had caught me staring.

"That little thing you were just fantasizing about is going to have to wait until tomorrow. For now, you need to go so I can get some things done." She laughed as I pouted playfully. I wasn't ready to leave her. Bella noticed my hesitation to leave. "How about we meet at the gym in an hour and I'll just have my groceries delivered?"

I grinned. It had been a while since we went to the gym together, and it had become a favorite past time with her. Bella laughed as if she sensed my thoughts. She wrapped her arms around my neck and started her form of torture. She pressed her soft lips against my chin, and then run them along my jawline until they finally met my lips. Then she took my bottom lip in between her teeth, nibbling gently. I groaned, wrapping my arms around her small waist. I deepened the kiss, my hands sliding along her waist then to her ass. Bella pulled away and laughed.

"I'll see you in an hour. Go." Bella laughed when I refused to let her go. I shook my head. "Please. I have a few phone calls to make and stuff to do." Then she fucking pouted, her eyes got all big and glassy looking. I was gone, because she won with that performance. _Give her a fucking Oscar_. With that look, she'd get anything she wanted. I also wanted to be the only dumbass to give her everything.

I left about ten minutes later, after more kissing and groping. By then my hard-on would not go away with thoughts of my brother in a thong, and I still had to walk to my damn apartment. It had caught the attention of two very willing women, and I just smiled and sent them away. I hadn't even considered their offer for a second. _Wow, that's fucking profound. _

I got home, called Esme and actually gushed about Bella. Maybe not gush, more like I offered information willingly. I had never done that before, but it felt good and Esme was very excited. After taking care of a few other things and answering a few calls, I left to meet Bella.

I spotted her immediately, in red shorts and a black tank top. Her hair was up in a ponytail again, bouncing along her back while she ran on a treadmill. My first thought was fucking hell, I had just gotten rid of the arousal I had earlier. The second was a pang of jealously and possessiveness, when I saw the same fucking giant asshole from last time on the treadmill next to my girl. He was leaning over talking to her – again.

It had become apparent that I needed to make sure he understood that she was fucking taken. I walked up to her treadmill, stood behind her, dropped my bag beside me, and crossed my arms. I gave the fucking prick the fuck off look. I had adopted the same look whenever Bella was around other fucking assholes. Bella looked up and our eyes met in the mirror in front of us. She placed her hands on the bars and she turned on the treadmill and started to jog backward.

The view looked fucking glorious. Her tiny tank top was leaving nothing to the imagination as her amazing chest bounced, inviting me to bury my face in between her breasts. I shook the thought and grinned, giving my best-crooked smile.

She just scowled. "Maybe you should just whip it out and piss on me."

"If you think that would help." I wiggled my brows suggestively, tugging on the waistband of my shorts. Bella shook her head and laughed. Then she launched herself at me. She jumped off the treadmill and wrapped her arms around my neck. I took the full force of her body hitting me without difficulty. She was small and just the right height to fuck while standing up. I laughed internally, mentally noting that I would have to put that to the test.

"Hmm, I admit I like your method better," I said before I pressed my mouth to hers. She moaned softly and deepened the kiss. I picked her up so she was more my level, aligning our bodies, perfectly. Bella gasped, pulling away and kissing me a few more times before asking to put her down.

She climbed back on her treadmill and I stood my ground behind her, still staring down the asshole that seemed to have ignored our display. He wasn't looking at her directly. However, when I let my eyes wander to the mirror, I noticed his eyes kept darting to Bella's chest. I bit back a growl, choosing to watch Bella instead. That view was much better. Her tiny shorts showing me her firm muscles in her thighs and her ass. My eyes quickly scanned toward the fucking dickhead and he adjusted himself!

"That's it," I growled. I grabbed Bella around the waist and threw her over my shoulder. Her protests filled my ears, but I ignored them as I grabbed our bags and growled in the direction of the asshole.

His eyes widened for a moment, and then he fell off the machine. I laughed, glad that I was able to intimidate him. Despite Bella cursing a string of profanities under her breath, there were hardly any protests from her.

I walked over to the room that we usually used and set her down on her feet. I placed the bags on the floor, expecting her to start yelling or hitting me. However, as always, she did the unexpected. She locked the fucking door. I hoped this meant that she was up to no good. My dick responded in the same way it always had when Bella was within my sight.

Her walk toward me was almost predatory as was her glare. Oh shit, she was pissed. She brushed past me and moved out a mat silently, yet I was positive she was seething.

"Get the fuck over here," she growled before taking a stance. She demonstrated a fucking beautiful axe kick with some good power behind it. The resounding swish of her kick was loud and forceful.

_Fuck, she's really pissed._

I walked over and pulled out another mat before I turned to look at her. She took position in front of me in a standard stance.

"You can't keep doing that kind of shit, Edward," she said, throwing three consecutive punches in quick succession. She landed each one and they had some bite behind them. All right, she had a right to be angry.

"I know," I said softly, blocking a fourth hit. I didn't bother throwing a punch at her. I would take the hits or block them until she got it out of her system.

"Since I got here, I said three words to the guy," Bella said before doing a roundhouse kick hitting my right shoulder. I growled at the thought of her acknowledging the asshole.

"I said 'no thank you.'" She threw a punch square to my chest and I blocked it.

"Sorry," I said firmly. I meant it, too. "I just get angry when I see someone like him, looking at you like that." I blocked a low kick to my left thigh.

"You mean the way you look at me?" She cocked a brow, distracting me enough for her to land two punches.

"Yes," I admitted, taking another blow to my left bicep. "But I'm allowed because we're together."

Bella stopped and relaxed her position. "Those kind of men, can't always be avoided, Edward. I know how you feel, I didn't like that bitch at the hotel looking at you like that either."

"You did go all possessive, too, if I'm not mistaken." I smirked, remembering her lethal glare toward the hotel staff.

"I did but my approach was much better." She grinned.

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

Bella huffed. "Fine it wasn't much better. But I didn't go all caveman and throw you over my shoulder."

"If I remember correctly, you just had a different way of marking your territory. And that's just because you can't throw me over your shoulder, love." I grinned, but she glared at me. Damn, she was hot when she was angry.

Bella stiffened slightly as if she took my comment as a challenge, but she took her stance again. "Let's just agree to try not to lose it every time someone is within ten feet of one another."

"Fine. I'll count to ten next time." _Like it would fucking help._

"Good. Now try to take me down again," she challenged.

We spent the next thirty minutes testing each other's strengths. Her strength seemed to be her speed. She moved around the mat on her toes and her punches were always one right after the other. Then she showed me she could do the same with her kicks.

I landed two quick slaps to each of her arms. She looked a little flushed and tired but she wanted to continue. I was hoping she'd let me have my way with her, but it didn't seem like she was interested in that. Then it happened. Suddenly I was on my fucking back. She actually successfully threw me over her shoulder and I hit the mat with a thud. She stood over me with her feet on each side of my head.

"Don't under estimate me, Edward," she said smugly from above. Then she sat on me, her cute little ass was on my chest. I fought my urge to bite into her thighs since they were practically inches from my mouth.

She looked straight into my eyes and then she smirked. She was challenging me again. I grabbed around her thighs with my arms, locking them in place and I bit her inner thigh. She hissed, biting her lip to avoid screaming. She tried to move off of me, but I held her in place and sucked on the area I bit into, soothing the darkened skin. Then she started to moan. The sound went straight to my cock. I had to have her.

In a swift movement, I rolled us over and I was above her, with my head in between her legs. Bella's hands tugged on my hair, but I ignored the slight sting, too entranced by what was in front of me. Her delectable pussy. I kissed her inner thighs until I got to where her arousal was potent. I groaned, my hands quickly removing her shorts from her body. Somewhere in the background, I heard her say my name. Bella mumbled several times before I licked her softest pink skin. I groaned and was desperate for more.

Then she tugged my hair harder. "Edward, get the fuck off of me!" _Oh, shit. _"They fucking have video running in this room twenty-four hours a day!" she screamed, her knee connecting with my shoulder.

I jumped off of her and did a quick sweep of the room. There it was. I grabbed a towel from my gym bag and flung it over the camera. I turned back to Bella who was still on the mat, shimming into her shorts.

"Thanks for letting the whole fucking gym staff see me and all my fucking glory," she growled. "Seriously, if I wasn't your girlfriend, I would consider you a damn patient." Her tone was husky, telling me she was aroused, but the edge told me I had gone too far.

"Look, I understand getting caught up in the moment, but fuck, I said your name several times, I fucking pulled your hair trying to get you to stop." Bella shivered. turning away from me.

_Fucking hell, I scared her. _"Bella," I whispered, taking a tentative step toward her.

She spun on her heels to look at me and she put her hand up to stop me from advancing. "I need to know, Edward. Is this _relationship_ just based on sex?"

"Bella, how can you even ask me that?" I asked, truly mortified. Bella folded her arms across her chest and shrugged her shoulders. The look on her face held little anger, only fear. I sighed and closed the distance, wrapping my arms around her. "I admit I have a hard time keeping my hands off of you love, but it's not just about _that_."

"Tell me then," Bella whispered. I sighed. Where did even I start?

"I love the way you smell. I love to see the wind blow through your hair. I love to see that even though you exude confidence, you still blush and get a little shy. I love that you do the crossword puzzle in pen. I love that you love action movies. I love when your brows furrow a little, right here," I touched the spot in between her eyebrows, "when you concentrate on something. I love that you can spot a tattered sign on a register and want to help people you don't even know. I love that you get along with my family so well. I love that you talk in your sleep. I love that you are selfless. I love that you want to help save the world. I love so many things about you, Bella."

Bella nodded, her eyes filled once again with an unspoken emotion. I needed to lighten the tension or else I'd start professing my love to her. I wasn't sure she was ready for that. "Do you still believe that this relationship is based on the amazing-can't-get-enough sex?" I grinned.

Bella laughed. "You had to go and ruin the moment, didn't you?"

"It's in my nature, I guess," I said, trying to cover the sadness in my voice. It was true because before her, I found fault in everyone that I tried to date. I found something or some reason to no longer to pursue the woman further. Usually it had been only after I fucked them. After a while, I gave up dating and just went to getting a woman in bed, with no false promises.

Bella finally gave me a beautiful smile, giving me a chaste kiss. "We should get going. I have to get back to my place and get started on dinner and get ready."

I grabbed the towel from the camera while Bella moved the mats aside. With our gym bags in my hand, I noticed Bella looking at the mirror. She looked as if she was thinking about something.

"Something wrong, love?"

Bella shook her head. "No, it just would've been hot to watch." I looked in the mirror and then her words sunk in. _Fuck. _Watch as in watch ourselves making love in front of the mirrors. I shivered at the thought the vibrations went straight south. Bella laughed. "Too easy. We'll have to leave it for another time." Bella winked giving me a small kiss and then sprinting to the door.

Bella stopped short at the door and froze. "Hi, Megan. So I take it we'll make the highlight of the week again." Just outside the doorframe stood a tall woman with dark brown hair cut in a short bob. Her piercing blue eyes were wild with excitement as she looked from Bella to me.

"Fuck the week, Swan. You got the whole fucking month. Don't worry, you didn't show too much, just the curve of your ass." Bella shrugged and looked at me.

"Edward, this is Megan Reese, she's the owner of this fine establishment." Bella smiled as Megan extended her hand. I shook it.

"Damn Bella, did you have to stop him?"

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Megan, what would Jim say?"

"He'd say 'have them come over every Friday night.' That's what Jim would say," Megan said, returning her attention to Bella.

"Megan, I already told you I don't swing that way," Bella said casually. What the fuck? "So are you two still coming in Tuesday? I know Jim is at the expo in Vegas."

"He'll be back in time. We wouldn't miss another sex lesson with you, Swan." Megan stepped back out and waved at me. "I hope I get to see more of you later, Edward." I barely waved back since I was a little shocked by their conversation. Swinging? Sex lessons?

"Bye Megan." Bella smiled and extended her hand to take mine. "Come on, champ. Let's go."

"I, um, she's a patient?" I asked.

"Yes, couples therapy." Bella smiled as she led me out of the gym. "But I can't disclose anything else."

I walked Bella back to her apartment and kissed her good-bye in the hallway since she wouldn't let me in to help her. She said I would be a distraction. She was probably right. I made it to my apartment and it was just a little after four o'clock. I really didn't know how to occupy my time. I decided to surf the net and Google Bella.

Under Isabella Swan, not much came up except a newscast on the death of her friend Brianna. There was even a video. I clicked on it.

There on the screen was Bella nearly carried between two people I didn't recognize. An older man, tall with dark hair and matching eyes was on one side. On Bella's other side was a woman with long, light brown hair with some of the same facial features as Bella. They were her parents. However, I couldn't take my eyes of the broken look on Bella's face. It was cold -almost lifeless- the entire front of her body covered in blood. A reporter went straight toward her, shining the light from the camera into her face. She covered her face, putting her hands up covered in blood while her entire body trembled. A second later, the older man beside Bella had shoved the camera away and covered her face with his jacket.

_Shit, how does someone come back from something like that?_

I wanted to know more about Bella but this wasn't the way. I was sure she wouldn't have liked that I had seen the broadcast. I turned off my computer and shook my head, trying to dispel the broken look on her face. She'd been so young and hauntingly familiar.

I found a few other things to occupy my time before I got ready. I had thought for about a minute to put on a tie and jacket in the hopes to impress Bella's brother. Then I realized it was too formal for a casual get together. It was just a quarter after six when I finished getting ready. I picked up the phone, wanting to hear her voice and ask if she wanted me to pick up anything. I dialed her apartment number. On the second ring, a man's voice greeted me.

"Hello, the Hot Dr. Swan house of Love. How may I help you?"

_What the fuck? _"Damn it Jacob, I told you not to answer it!" Bella screamed in the background. "Give me the damn phone."

"Hello?" Bella said she sounded out of breath. I tried not to imagine why she would be out of the breath but I failed miserably.

"Bella," I said trying hard not to put my anger in my voice.

"Oh, hey, babe. What's up?"

"I called to hear your voice and to see if you needed me to pick up anything for you."

"That's nice of you, but I got everything I need here for dinner except you."

"Why is Jacob there so early?"

"Oh, Nessie was running late and sent Jacob to help with dinner," Bella said slowly.

"How long has he been there?"

"About forty minutes. It's fine, Edward."

"Bella," I growled.

"If you're so concerned, just come over already," Bella snapped and hung up.

"Shit!" Why did that fucking dog always have to be there every time I turn around? Fuck! I grabbed my wallet and keys, slamming my door closed behind me. All this felt like a test, but I wasn't willing to fail. I needed to pass for her – for my Bella.

I made it to her door in ten minutes after I found a florist with a bouquet of orchids around the corner. I knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door swung open with the butt sniffer behind it. I remained composed, trying not to glare. Through gritted teeth, I greeted him. "Black."

"Cullen," Jacob returned with the same disdain in his voice. He didn't step aside or make a move to allow me inside. Just then, Bella came up from behind Jacob and smiled at me. She jumped into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Missed you," Bella whispered in my ear. I was very happy for her greeting and the look of obvious distaste in Jacob's face. _Neh ne heh ne heh heh. _I internally gloated and danced circles around Jacob.

"Missed you too, love," I whispered before placing a searing kiss on her soft lips. Bella pulled away and rolled her eyes at me. I gave her the flowers and offered to put them in a vase for her. She took my hand and led me into the kitchen. We left Jacob at the doorway. _Take that fucker._

After Bella placed her flowers in a vase, she went to check something on the stove. She gave me a smile as I walked toward her. "Mmm," I whispered. "Something smells good." I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her neck. "Besides you." She laughed as I had hoped, turning to look up at me.

Chastely I kissed her and picked her up to place her on the counter. "Sorry, he just decided to show up," she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck.

She wasn't lying; it was obvious she was worried about my rivalry with Jacob. "Is your cousin still coming?"

"Yes, later, probably after dinner." Bella shrugged. "She had to cover someone's shift for a few hours."

I nodded and placed another kiss on her lips. It was then that I'd become aware of what she was wearing. My hands found skin right above her knees; a fitted black skirt rode high on her thighs as I stood in between her legs. My hands instinctively slid up her legs, wanting some contact with her smooth skin. Her dark blue top was making her skin glow under the bright lights of her kitchen.

I beat back the onslaught of desire that started to course through my veins, but there was something I wanted to make clear. "You should've called. He hasn't been a problem has he?"

Bella shook her head. "Not more than usual."

"What does that mean?"

"Jacob is well Jacob. He's a very hands-on kind of guy." Bella smiled a bit warily.

"I bet he is."

"Don't worry about him." She kissed my cheek, nibbled along my jaw. "I already told him that you're much better _equipped_ for my needs." I pulled back to find her with a sexy little smirk, her eyes filled with the same desire I felt.

"I love it when you talk like that." I kissed her soft lips, the tip my tongue tracing her bottom lip. She parted her lips. I slowly slipped in her mouth, enjoying the sweet essence that was Bella. Until Air Bud decided to clear his throat somewhere behind us. I didn't plan on stopping but Bella had other ideas. She pulled away and she winked. She looked over my shoulder where I presumed Jacob was standing.

From the corner of my eye, I could see her smile. Choosing it was better to ignore the beast behind me, I continued teasing Bella, licking and biting gently along her neck. "Yes," Bella asked with her smile never faltering.

"I set up the table like you said. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Jacob asked with his tone barely containing his distaste.

"Nope, why don't you just watch a little TV? Edward can help me with anything else I might need. Right?" Bella smiled looking back at me.

I took a moment to answer and another to savor the taste of her skin below her ear. "Yes, love, I can help with all your _needs_."

"Ugh, whatever you say, _champ,_" Jacob said through gritted teeth stomping to the fridge. He swung it open, grabbed a beer and stalked back to the living area.

Bella chuckled. "This should be interesting."

"Why do you say that?" I asked as I pulled away to look at her.

"Trust me, it will be." She placed another kiss on my lips and let it deepen. I'm not sure how long we were tongue wrestling, but it must've been a while. A knock on Bella's door brought us out of the bubble we had created.

Bella pulled away with a sexy pout on her face. "That's your family. Get me down please." I reluctantly lifted her off the counter, held her tightly for another moment and went with her to greet my family. I opened the door and sure enough, Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie were standing out in the hallway. Alice had a white square box with a thin red ribbon. A cake from Lisa's Bakery.

"Hi, everybody. Come on in." Bella smiled, kissing Alice on the cheek before taking the cake. "What's this, Alice?"

"It's Heaven Help Us Chocolate Divinity Cake," Alice answered while I took her coat.

"Mmm, sounds sinful," she said, before gesturing for the rest of my family to enter. "Everybody, there's beer and wine in the fridge. Help yourself. Jacob is watching television in the living room. Ladies, do you mind giving me a hand plating dinner?"

"Of course we'll help," Rosalie answered, heading to the kitchen that was visible from the entryway. Alice followed her, taking the box from Bella.

"What's on the menu B?" Jasper asked placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Jordan's favorites of course," she said with a smile. "Grilled chicken salad, filet mignon and asparagus."

"Ahh, it's been a long time since I had your cooking," Jasper said as he squeezed her for a second. "And I'm looking forward to it." Jasper laughed and walked into the kitchen, followed by Emmett.

Bella turned to me and smiled. "Let's get their coats in the hall closet." I nodded and followed her. She and I walked through the living area where Jacob followed us with his eyes. _What is the fucker's problem? _After hanging the coats in the closet, we walked back into the living area where Jasper and Emmett were both greeting Jacob. I rolled my eyes, because the asshole didn't deserve any of their forgiveness. I decided to follow Bella into the kitchen.

However, the doorbell rang again, so Bella asked me to open a bottle of wine. Inside the kitchen I was somewhat startled to find Alice tossing a salad. The woman cooked very little, and what she had had been inedible. She gave me a lethal glare as if she knew what I was thinking. I gave her a little wink, so she stuck her tongue out.

I picked at some grilled chicken that Rosalie was dicing for the salad, earning a slap on my hand. Feeling ravenous, I poked around in Bella's fridge, finding some fruit to eat while I waited for dinner.

"Daniel?" I heard Bella say loudly from the entry. Instinct had me running to Bella's side immediately. Thankfully, she hadn't opened the door fully. _What the fuck is that man doing here? _

"Damn it, Daniel." Bella cursed under her breath as she stepped into the hallway. I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I don't think so, Bella," I whispered through gritted teeth. "Not alone." She nodded and pulled me along with her. After I closed the door behind me, I stood beside Bella in a protective stance. I was almost shielding her body from his gaze.

"What are you doing here, Daniel?" Bella asked with her voice soft and gentle, as if a mother greets a child.

"I was in the area and I wanted to see if you made a decision concerning me still being your patient," Daniel mumbled, shifting from one foot to the other.

"No. I've spoken with a colleague of mine, and I have first to get permission from your insurance for the supervised sessions because they'd cost more. I'm sorry, Daniel, but I won't have an answer until next week."

"But—I—" Daniel's breath hitched as he took a step toward Bella and laid his hands on her arms. In less than a second, I yanked his arms from Bella and pushed him against the wall. The thought of his hands on her, without her consent, had me curling my fingers around his throat.

"Don't you fucking touch her," I snapped. My face inches from his, his breath almost pathetically hot against my face and putrid of stale alcohol. Bella placed her hands on my back, sliding them across my shoulders and down my arms.

"It's all right, Edward," she whispered. "You need to let him go."

I loosened my grip on Daniel's neck but kept him against the wall with my arm pressed hard against his chest. He gasped several times trying to catch his breath, coughing in response to the momentary lost of air.

I had been unaware that we had an audience, as the door to Bella's apartment opened fully. Emmett, Jasper, and Jacob stood at the door, watching us intently. Jacob's attention moved down the hallway.

"Well, it's nice to know that PBC can take care of my little sister," a deep voice said from somewhere down the hall.

I turned to look and there in a motorized wheelchair was a man roughly the size of Emmett. His eyes weren't as dark as Bella's, lighter than her brown. Almost hazel from where I stood. His hair was the color of his sister's, almost a little too long since it curled around his ears and neck. There was a five o'clock shadow along his jaw. Standing beside him was a beautiful petite woman with light brown, curly hair with hazel eyes.

"Jordan!" Bella cried out. She ran in a full sprint to her brother and jumped on his lap, giving him a hug and kiss. Her display caused his cheeks to redden and his eyebrows to lift in surprise.

"Way to make me look all manly in front of the new boyfriend, Bells," he said. shaking his head.

Bella smiled, batting her lashes playfully. "I do what I can to deflate that huge ego of yours." She jumped up on her feet and kissed the woman beside her brother. "It's good to see you again, Julie. Why don't you two head on in. Edward and I have to take care of a little problem first."

Jordan nodded with his eyes narrowed as he glared at Daniel. At least I hope he was glaring at Daniel and not at me. He acknowledged me as he rolled inside with just a nod and my name.

Bella grabbed something from the table beside the door, and pressed a button on the intercom system to alert security. In her hand, she had a cordless phone, dialing and she returned to my side.

"Officer Davis. Hello, it's Dr. Swan. Yes, I'm fine. Remember when I told you that you might hear from me? Well I need a little help. Yes, the situation happened. I have security here hold him until you get here. I won't be able to make it to the station until tomorrow morning." Bella walked over to Daniel and me. I laid my entire arm against him so he wouldn't move as she approached us.

"Hold him. I need to see into his eyes." Bella held up a penlight up and shined it into Daniel's eyes. He wasn't even fighting me anymore and seemed to be staring off into space. "Open your mouth, Daniel." Daniel complied and his breath had the smell of cheap alcohol.

Bella dropped the light from his eyes. "He's under the influence. Most likely on the meds Dr. Fletcher prescribed and alcohol. You should be able to keep him overnight in the Tank," Bella said. "Okay. That's fine." Bella pressed a button and dropped the pen light back on the table inside the apartment.

Cautiously, she approached us again, her eyes fixed on Daniel. I noticed his hands clenched and unclenched on his thighs. He was desperately fighting for control. Bella remained out of his reach as she spoke to him.

"Daniel, some friends of mine are going to take you downstairs to the lobby. In a little while, Officer Davis is going to take you somewhere to get some rest." When Daniel's breaths started to come out in heavy pants and gasps, Bella's face fell. "I'll see you in the morning."

With the promise to see her again, Daniel's head fell against the wall, as he exhaled loudly. Slowly, he took in several breaths before grinning at Bella. _Fucker. _I pressed my arm harder against his chest. "I'll be there, too, Daniel."

With that said, Daniel's head fell down to his chest again and his shoulders slumped in defeat. A few moments later, the elevator down the hall opened up to some rather large security officers that came to take Daniel off my hands.

"We're sorry, Ms. Swan," one of them said. "I know you warned us, we don't know how he got in. We'll look into it. Bella nodded and told Daniel good-bye which he returned half-heartily. We watched them disappear behind the closing elevator doors.

Bella turned around to look at me. "You handled yourself well, Edward. I'm impressed. I thought I was going to have to bail you out of jail for a moment there." Bella wrapped her arms around my waist.

"You have no idea how hard it was to control myself." I rubbed her arms. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?" Bella shook her head.

I sighed. "That's wasn't the best way to meet your brother, was it?"

"Actually, I think it was." Bella shrugged and giggled. "He's always worrying about me. But now that I have my own bodyguard, he won't be so worried."

I took a deep breath. "Ready?" I asked turning the knob to her apartment.

"Are you sure we can't run to your place and just go fuck like crazy?" Bella said looking completely serious at me. I groaned in response.

"Sounds like a plan, but I don't think my family or your brother would appreciate it." I pushed the door open and walked into the apartment, with her hand in mine. There, waiting for us in the living area, were Jordan and Julie. Everyone trickled in from various rooms as we returned inside.

"Sorry about that everyone. Everything is fine now." Bella smiled with her eyes on her brother.

"You're putting a restraining order on him, right?" her brother asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her.

Bella's lip stuck out a little, her eyes widened, her nostrils flaring just a little. I thought she was about to deny him, but her face softened and she nodded. I don't think I've ever seen her look so vulnerable.

"Damn it, Bella. What's that, like, number six? How do you fucking pick your patients?" Bella looked down at her right foot toeing the ground. She shrugged.

Then I understood the total shift in Bella's attitude. Her brother was the dragon watching the princess. She was like a child, something made of glass that the dragon would not let out to play because she may get hurt. This wasn't something I had expected to see in her. Around her brother, she was still his baby sister, and Jordan treated her as such.

"You need to get an office," he said sternly. "No more of these appointments in your place. It's too dangerous, Bells." She nodded. "Now introductions are in order."

Bella took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She looked as if she was gathering herself. Once she opened her eyes, the smile on her face was radiant. "Edward, this is my brother Jordan and his girlfriend, Julie." I extended my hand and with a firm grip, greeted him with just his name. I did the same with Julie. What the fuck else was I supposed to do? I was still in freaking shock from seeing her act so unlike her.

"So did you meet everybody else, Jordan?" Bella asked taking Julie's coat.

"Yes. Jasper doesn't look like he changed much has he?" Jordan said, punching Jasper's arm that stood beside him.

"No, not really." Bella smiled and winked. "Some people are blessed with good genetics."

"Hey, we were too, little sis," Jordan said, pulling Bella back on his lap and rolled off toward the kitchen.

I stared at them, clearly not understanding their relationship. They went from a father and daughter mentality to a playful banter of a sister and brother.

"They've been through a lot, Edward. He still really doesn't know how to be around her. He took on the role of her father, but sometimes he forgets that she's his sister first," Julie answered my unspoken question. "Then there's that incident between them, it'll always be there." I nodded, unable to find a proper response to what she said.

I followed Julie to the kitchen where Bella was placing browning some filet mignon. Alice was plating the salad as Rose started to gather a few other things. Jordan took out some bottles of dressing out of the fridge, handing them to Julie as we approached.

"Edward, beer?" Jordan asked, his eyes still looking into the fridge.

"Sure," I said. He turned and tossed me a bottle. I popped off the cap and walked over to Bella, wrapping an arm around her waist as she sprinkled some ingredients into the pan.

"So Edward, what kind of car do you drive?" Jordan asked, moments later the rest of the guys in the living area started to laugh. _Don't hate the Volvo._

"I have and Aston Martin." I replied, hoping I didn't sound like I was bragging _Fucking hell, who knew meeting your girl's family, would be this hard. _ "And a –"

"He has a Volvo," Emmett said, chuckling. Rosalie rolled her eyes and handed him a couple of plates, ordering him to take them to the dining room.

"There's nothing wrong with Edward's car, Emmett," Bella said. "It has one of the highest safety ratings in the industry."

"She's right Emmett, nothing's wrong with a Volvo." Jordan smiled. "I love mine." I sighed and Bella chuckled beside me.

"Stupid shiny Volvo owners," Emmett cursed under his breath. He was unhappy that he didn't succeed in embarrassing me.

Bella turned away to finish off the rest of the food, having me help her for several minutes. I wanted to grab a hold of her every time I felt her sublime ass brush my thigh or hip as we cooked. However, her brother remained in the kitchen, discussing the latest football game to Emmett, and I didn't think he would appreciate me groping his sister.

Once dinner was done, every gathered in the dining room where Jordan sat at the head of the long table. Bella sat at his left, Julie at Jordan's right side. I sat beside Bella, and thankfully, the pup sat the other end of the table, well away from Bella. It was strange the way he kept watching us. _Is he still in love with her? _

"Where's Nessie, Bells?" Jordan asked as he got his salad ready. The rest of the group was talking amongst themselves, only Julie and I listening to Bella and Jordan.

"Jacob said that she was running late," she said, pointing some dressing for me to pass her. "She's working a double at the hospital. Again."

I was curious about their relationship with their cousin. She had to be a few years younger, maybe more than a few. "With the way you talk about your cousin, it sounds like you've taken care of her," I said, looking at Bella.

Jordan sighed deeply and Bella gave me a timid smile. "Her mother and our mother were sisters. Twins in fact. My aunt died giving birth to her, and her father raised her until she was about thirteen when he was killed, he was a solider. She had living grandparents on her father's side so they raised her, but they died when she was about sixteen. Jordan took her in since we were the only living family left. So we pretty much helped her out since then," Bella said. "She's only twenty-one now, Edward."

I leaned into Bella. "How long have your cousin and Black been together?"

"Three years," Bella whispered. Jordan snorted and she rolled her eyes. "At least that's what they tell us."

I shuddered. "Tell me about it," Jordan said through clenched teeth with his eyes on Jacob.

"So Bella," Emmett said from my side. I groaned, his tone indicated he had something up his sleeve. Here we go. "I was thinking since you've kissed four out of the five men at this table that you owe me a kiss." Rosalie smacked the back of his head. Jasper dropped his fork and Alice started to laugh.

Jordan's eyes left mine, moved to Emmett, then Jacob, and stopped at Jasper. "You kissed my little sister. When?"

"Jordan, it was a long time ago," Bella said softly. She placed her small hand over one of his on the table. "He just didn't want my first kiss to be forced by someone."

"Never going to live that down, am I?" Jacob said bitterly from the end of the table.

"Nope," Jasper, Jordan and Bella said in unison. Bella laughed and shook her head. She gave Jacob a little wink that should've pissed me off, but she was making fun of him. In that case, it didn't bother me too much.

"So you kissed my sister, J? When?" Jordan pressed for answers.

"After she broke her hand after punching Jacob," Jasper said calmly. He looked calmed, but his hand shook as he brought a fork to his mouth. I wanted to laugh out loud, but I didn't. I didn't blame him one bit. Jordan has some massive fucking shoulders and biceps. He had to work his upper body a lot.

"And?" Jordan asked, looking back at Bella.

"Felt like I was kissing my brother or cousin," Bella mumbled, shrugging.

Jordan let out a breath of relief. "Good, if that story was anything like your first time, I would have to kill him."

"First time?" Emmett asked completely enthralled with the topic of conversation.

"Her first time having s-sex," Jordan said, stuttering out the last word.

"Who was your first, Bella?" Emmett asked like if the question was no big deal. Damn, this was not something I wanted to hear at all. Yet, there I was about to find out that Jacob was her first.

"I am," Jacob said. He gave me a wicked, smug grin. Asshole.

Jordan snorted and Jasper snickered. "Technically," Jordan said firmly. "You are not her first, ass. And you know it." Jacob's face paled and shook his head.

"Don't fucking tell them," he groaned.

"Oh, this I gotta hear," Emmett said loudly. "How the hell is he technically her first but not her first?"

"Yeah," I said. "As much as I would not like to hear about Bella's first time with Scooby over there, what do you mean technically?"

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Do I really need to explain this now?" Bella looked at me then her brother. Her brother looked deeply amused. Thank fuck. I'd be squeamish if I had to hear about Jasper telling me about Alice fucking. I shuddered at the thought.

"Come on Bella, it's a fucking funny story," Jordan said. "Besides, Edward wants to know."

Bella rolled her eyes, looked at Jacob, and cocked an eyebrow. "Should I explain it or do you want to?" Jacob just shook his head.

"I completely blocked that day from my memory," he grumbled. The fucker was blushing.

_This should be good._

"Well Jacob and I had already been secretly seeing each other behind Jordan's back and we were going at it in my room. My mom was at work, Jordan and Jasper were at practice and my dad was fishing so we had the place to ourselves."

"Or she thought," Jordan indicated.

"We were going at it and medically speaking, he took my virginity because he tore my hymen," Bella explained. "The moment he had though, we heard my dad's shot gun being armed in the hallway." Bella laughed at the memory. "Jacob was off of me in less than a second, out the window and half-way down a tree in like four seconds. I'd never seen him move so fast."

"Butt-naked," Jasper added.

"Who was standing outside the door with the gun?" I asked.

"I was," Jordan said, smiling wistfully as if reliving the memory. "Jasper kept Jacob in the tree until my father got home."

"The whole time, still butt naked, against the rough bark of tree," Jasper added.

"Damn, that was one painful experience," Jacob said, shuddering.

"I didn't see Jacob for months after that." Bella chuckled. "He was healing." The whole table was quiet then busted up laughing.

Emmett large fist pounded the table after a minute. "Fuck, I'm so glad we came."

"I don't know if I'd count that as my first, either. He'd have to at least pump or something," Alice said after the laughter started to die down. I groaned, not wanting to listen to that shit. "Who was your first then?"

Bella shook her head. "Come on, quit picking on me."

"No Bells, she asked a good question. Who was your first?" Jordan asked.

"Senior year, I was a score keeper for the baseball team and photographer. It was an away game against a prep school in Seattle. We went to some party there, and he was this guy that I met there."

"Do you mean that one party where we had to spend the night because I couldn't find your ass anywhere?" Jordan asked. Bella nodded.

"I thought you never had a one night stand," I said.

"It wasn't, technically, because I fell asleep and we went at it again in the morning." Bella smiled softly. "I'd like to believe that under different circumstances, it wouldn't have been. Plus I gave him a fake name."

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Because of Jordan and Jasper, just in case he would go tell all his friends about me. It was the only way I could guarantee they wouldn't find out," Bella said looking at her brother. "I didn't want him to get his ass kicked."

"You bet your ass he would've gotten a beat down," Jordan mumbled, stabbing a stalk of asparagus harshly.

"What school was it?" Jasper asked with a knowing smile.

"Umm, Trinity something." Bella shrugged.

Alice also had a knowing look on her face. "Do you have a picture of him by any chance?"

"Yeah, I was in charge of taking some pictures of the players and the crowds for the school paper. So when we were talking, we took a picture together."

"Edward, now that we know about Bella's first time, why don't you tell us about yours?" Jasper asked. "It's only fair."

"You know that you're all fucking sharing now," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Except for you Alice. I don't want to hear that shit." Bella turned her attention back to me and smiled. I sighed. "Let's see. It was at a party after a game. I was fucking bored, so I went up to my room. I found this cute girl sitting in the corner of my room in the dark trying to block out the noise. She was cute, too. Short brown hair, big dark eyes, she had these gorgeous fucking tits." Some of the guys laughed, pounding the table with their fists. "She didn't seem to fit in with the rowdy crowd. So I kept her company and then one thing led to another."

"What was her name, Edward?" Bella asked. Her eyes were wide and glazed over; her labored breathing told me she was upset.

"Her name was Susan Blake."

Bella started to giggle. After a minute, her whole body shook while tears started falling from her eyes. "Bella?" I tried to grab a hold of her, but she jumped up from her chair and ran to her bedroom.

"Bella?" I was about to get up from my chair but Jordan stopped me.

"Wait," Jordan said. "I know what this is about, so just give her a moment." The rest of my family remained quite, waiting anxiously. A few moments passed and Bella ran back into the dining room.

She sat in her chair with a huge grin on her face as she passed a picture to me. "Was this her?"

There in picture was me in a black polo shirt with light stone washed jeans, and sitting beside me was the girl that I always thought about when I was feeling down and I needed a pick me up. _Holy fuck._

"You gave me a fake name too," Bella accused me.

"You're Susan Blake?" I asked in utter shock.

Bella nodded. "You're umm, Emmett McCarty."

"You gave her my name!" Emmett bellowed then started to laugh.

"I tried looking for you," Bella and I said at the same time. We both had these stupid ass grins, so fucking happy that our paths had crossed before. Fuck, I couldn't believe it.

"I found Emmett McCarty in some of our school papers, but the picture I found didn't match you. So I stopped looking."

"I gave you a fake name for the same reason you did. Emmett would never let me live it down. After you left that morning, I had called but the number you gave me wasn't working. I checked around for you, no one knew a Susan Blake."

"We had to change our phone number that same afternoon," Bella said. "The number I gave you was real, but Jordan's girlfriends wouldn't stop calling, so Dad changed it and made it unlisted." She seemed lost in thought as everyone returned to speaking amongst themselves, all of them trading stories.

I leaned in and whispered in Bella's ear, "What are you thinking, love?"

Suddenly, Bella threw her arms up and stood up. "I can still count all my partners with two hands!" She danced a little in place, wiggling her hips.

"That's great, Bells," Jordan snapped. "Too bad Cullen can't say the same thing."

_Fuck._

"Damn it Jordan, you're killing my moment." Bella rolled her eyes and took her seat again. "It's not like your track record is any better than his. In fact yours is worse from what I remember." This started to sound like it was much more about them than about me.

"Yeah, look where it got me, Bella!" Jordan spat, pushing away from the table to emphasize the point that he was sitting in a chair.

"He's different now, Jordan," Bella whispered, taking my hand. I squeezed her, showing her how much I appreciated her defending me. Believing in me, I had no idea how much I needed that from her. However, I would not come between her and her brother.

"Do you think that fucking matters, sis? Anyone from his past can come back and hurt you."

Bella shook her head. "That won't happen."

"Neither of you know that. Did you think Brianna was capable of doing what she did?"

Bella's face flushed, her breathing was coming out in gasps. She jumped out of her chair and poked a finger in Jordan's chest. "Don't you even fucking say her name. Don't even think it, Jordan," she screamed at him. She turned on her heel and stomped into the living room. Jordan followed her to the living area, calling out for her.

I was in fucking shock, and I had no idea what to do. I looked at Julie who was looking at Jacob. "She's going to do it, isn't she?" Jacob asked Julie. Julie nodded and tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Do what?" I asked Julie.

She sighed and wiped at her tears. "This dinner was originally planned to be an intervention, and I think Jordan figured out what we were up to. To avoid it, he insisted on dinner with you all. Bella had called it off, but that argument just triggered her. She's still going to do it."

"Should we leave?" Alice asked.

Julie shook her head. "Afterwards, Bella will be pretty shaken up so she'll need you all." She told us to follow but to keep our distance unless we needed to interfere. My body was tense; part of me wanted to gather her in my arms to protect her.

As we walked into the living room, we found them near Bella's bookcase and Jordan was right behind her. "I have every right to say her name, Bella. I knew her, too."

"No, you didn't _know_ her," she hissed at him angrily. Her back was too him, but she turned to glare at him. "You just fucked her and tossed her aside."

"Yes, I did that. Just like Cullen has done to _hundreds _of women." I winced, wishing I'd been a little more fucking choosey and discreet with my promiscuous past.

"He hasn't done that with me," she said, shaking her head. "And he won't. Mind your fucking business."

"I will not. I am your brother and I will not let you waste your time with another fucking player, Bella."

"Who I see is my business, Jordan."

"Bella, in the last nine years you've dated nothing but guys that are players, womanizers. That shit isn't healthy." _This is news to me._

"You have no idea why I date guys like that."

"Let me guess; it has something to do with me."

"The fucking world doesn't revolve around you," she spat.

"Then tell me why you do it?"

"This isn't about me, Jordan. This is about you." Bella straightened her stance and held her head up high. Jordan shook his head and turned toward us, but stopped when Bella's hand grabbed the back of his chair.

"No matter what happens now, don't approach them. Let her handle it," Julie whispered barely audible to us. _What the fuck is going to happen?_

"I talked to your doctors again. Do you have something to say for yourself?" Bella asked cold and composed. She grabbed the back of her brother's chair with both hands and spun it around to face her.

"No, there's nothing to say. Those quacks don't know shit." Jordan tried to push away from Bella, but she bent down and started moving a few things so that Jordan's feet touched the ground.

"What are you doing?" Jordan asked, once again trying to pull away from her, but she locked it or something. He was unable to roll away from her.

"I don't think they're quacks, Jordan. After all, I paid the last bill, if they're quacks then they owe me a lot of money," Bella said her voice mocking as she looked him in the eye. She calmly walked around to the back of her brother's chair. "You see, Dr. Cano says that you seem to have regained some feeling in your toes, but that you keep denying it."

"Like I said, a quack," Jordan said, his voice trembling. He was scared of this Bella, not that I fucking blamed him. Her voice was a bit deeper, firmer, dominating. Fucking scary.

"I don't fucking think so," Bella sneered and did the unthinkable. She lifted the back of Jordan's chair, causing him to tumble onto the ground. Bella quickly ran the chair across the room. Jasper, Jacob and I tried to step forward toward Jordan who was sprawled on the floor, gasping from the shock.

"Don't touch him," she growled out to us, glaring. We stepped back and watched. It was like a fucking train wreck, and you can't help but want to know what was going on, the outcome.

"Bella, give me back my chair," Jordan pleaded, refusing to look at her.

"No," Bella said firmly, standing just a few feet from her brother.

"Give me back my chair!" he screamed, spit splattering the floor before him. He propped himself on a shoulder and held up a hand.

"Not until I see you admit you can feel something. Not until you promise me that you'll return to therapy."

"No!" Jordan roared, reaching out for Bella's legs, but she stepped away just out of reach.

"Why not?"

"I can't walk, Bella. I'll never walk again."

"The doctors think you can."

"I can't move my fucking legs, Bella!" his words came out in choked sobs. "I can't."

Bella kneeled down in front of her brother. "Liar," she hissed. "When I took your foot off the rest, it shifted just slightly."

"You're fucking seeing things, Bella!"

"Why won't you fucking try?"

"I don't deserve to," Jordan whimpered. "I don't deserve too, Bells."

"Do you think this is what _she _would've wanted? Do you think that mom and dad would've wanted you to wallow in self-pity?"

"Bella, you can't forgive me."

"I may never forgive you for what you did," Bella spat. "But don't you use me as an excuse."

"How can I forgive myself if you won't forgive me?"

"I may not be ready to forgive you Jordan, but it doesn't mean I love you any less."

Jordan shook his head. "Try." Bella said. Jordan shook his head again. "Try. Promise me!" Bella screamed, standing back up. Jordan let his head and shoulders drop, and sobbed on the ground.

Then Bella drew back her right foot. "No," I whispered. This was so fucking wrong, but before her foot had a chance to connect to his left calf, it moved. She stopped it short and knelt back down. Jordan looked at his leg with a look of shock across his face.

"Try," Bella whispered. His left foot moved slightly to the right. "Again." This time he managed to wiggle his foot side to side.

Jordan nodded, choking on sob again, "I promise."

Bella whimpered and nodded, wiping at her tear-streaked cheeks. "Julie," she said softly. Julie grabbed Jordan's chair from across the room. "Edward, Jasper." We walked over slowly and each took one of Jordan's arms to help him into his chair. As soon as Jordan settled in the chair, Bella launched herself into his lap and kissed her brother's face repeatedly.

Her words were almost incoherent in soft little whispers. "Sorry…sorry…it was the only way. Sorry…sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Shh, Bells. It's okay," Jordan whispered, rubbing soothing circles down her back.

"Love you," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck, curling on his lap.

"Love you too, sis."

Watching them, I felt it. I felt the overwhelming love that envelopes someone when they entered a room. The same feeling when my parents were alive, I felt it every time I'd return home. Not only did it radiate from Bella and her brother, but I also felt it run through me.

I was in love with a woman that would do anything for her family. Even hurt them to help them. The feeling overwhelmed me as I watched Bella curl up in her brother's lap, her head resting in the crook of his neck. My hand wiped over my face, not surprised to find tears there. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

Jordan looked at me and smiled. He looked back down at Bella. "He's a keeper," Jordan said loud enough for me to hear.

Bella looked up at her brother and turned to look at me. "That he is."


	16. The Good

**Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Sixteen – The Good**

* * *

**Edward**

"So you're now aware of the emotional baggage that I come with, you still interested?" she asked, though it sounded playful I could see a wariness in her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, love," I said with as much conviction that I could muster.

She smiled, hopping off her brother's lap and leaped into my arms. The moment her body touched mine, I lifted her off her feet and kissed her. As much as I wanted to deepen the kiss, I knew better than to do it in front her brother. I settled for returning her embrace with just as much enthusiasm.

"Damn, I missed all the drama, didn't I?" a voice said somewhere from the vicinity of Bella's front door.

Bella pulled away and turned toward the voice. "Nessie!" she squealed, running to someone standing near Jacob. They both embraced, and I noticed that Bella's description of her cousin was spot on.

From what I could see, she was a couple of inches shorter than Bella. Her frame was much more slender and slight. Where Bella's body was femininely tone, her cousin was softer. Her hair color and style was similar to Bella's hair. The only difference was Nessie's red was more noticeable.

I hadn't seen Nessie's face, but when she pulled away from Bella, what I saw made my blood boil. She was Bella's doppelganger. I turned and glared at Jacob, who looked dejected, maybe a little ashamed.

He should. Fucking asshole. The poor girl had to think that he was only with her because she looked like my girlfriend. Bella led her cousin to the kitchen as my eyes bored into Jacob's back as he walked beside them.

"I can't blame you for being pissed, but he claims he loves Nessie, for her," Jordan said firmly behind me. I turned to look at him trying to compose my face. "Bella was so angry with the both of them, more Jacob than Nessie. They kept their relationship from us." I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I think that's why she won't marry him," he said, looking toward the kitchen. "I think in a way she's worried that he'd drop her if Bella gave him a reason to."

"He's already asked her?" I asked as I tried to keep my voice calm.

"Yes, he did last year, she told him not until Bella settles down," Jordan said. I watched him and noticed that he kept looking at his right foot. It shifted an inch and Julie leaned down and whispered something in his ear. This whole night had to be overwhelming for him.

"That's doesn't seem fair to any of them." I shook my head, trying to get past my anger and jealousy.

"It's not, but with what my family has gone through, can't you see why they'd _both_ be cautious," Jordan said. Julie scolded him and told him to mind his business. He rolled his eyes at her and waved her away.

"Edward, I've seen Bella with enough guys like you. _She _was the one that ended the relationships. Seven of the last nine men she'd been with are now married. It's freaking weird. And she's _friends _with all of them. I don't get it." Jordan sighed as Julie crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"The other two, one's getting married next month and the other is Jacob. I'm not giving you a hard time because she's my baby sister. I'm giving you a hard time because _you _may be next. To tell you the truth, I don't think you'll be able to handle it."

_I can't believe what I'm hearing. Bella broke their hearts. Then again, who in their right mind would hurt her?_

"I refuse to believe that she'll hurt me intentionally," I started, running my hand through my hair. I was nervous discussing our relationship with her brother, but this had to be said. "Even with the chance that she _may_ hurt me, I'm willing to take the chance. She's worth the risk."

"I hope you're right for the both of you," Jordan said. He took off toward the kitchen with Julie in close pursuit. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and found Bella introducing Nessie to my family.

"Everybody this is my cousin Vanessa Wolfe." Bella gestured toward her cousin. "She prefers Nessie and she's a resident at the local hospital," Bella said like a proud mother or big sister.

Bella introduced everyone and raised an eyebrow in question when introducing Jasper and Emmett. Nessie looked at each of us then looked back at Bella, confusion written across her face.

_It's pretty fucked up but funny at the same time._

Bella sighed while rolling her eyes. "First off yes, this is the Jasper that was my first kiss. I did not sleep with Edward's brother first and eleven years later, hook up with Edward. Turns out my first was _Edward,_ he gave me Emmett's name." Bella grinned then laughed.

"I missed one hell of a dinner, didn't I?" Nessie said. Jacob laughed, placing an arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head.

"That you did, cuz," Jordan said beside me, rolling over to his cousin. Nessie let out a very Bella-like squeal and wrapped her arms around Jordan.

"Jordan! I'm so sorry. Is everything okay now?" Nessie asked, pulling away from Jordan trying to read his expression. She put her hand on his knee to let him know exactly what she was referring to.

"Do you mean if I can walk yet?" Jordan snorted. "No, but I guess I've been _kicked_ in the right direction." He looked at Bella, who rolled her eyes.

Bella promptly kicked everyone out while she cooked Nessie's dinner. Nessie and Jacob stayed with her in the kitchen talking while I checked on the rest of the family. Jordan and Julie decided to catch the news while Emmett and Rosalie made a beeline straight to Bella's overfilled bookshelves. I was sure he'd have something to say about it. Sure enough, I could hear his booming laughter.

Ignoring him, I returned to the kitchen to find Alice with Bella. "I'll get plates and the cake to the table, Bella," Alice said, popping to the fridge and taking out the cake. Bella nodded and thanked her while she continued doing something on the stove.

"Anything I can do, love?" I asked. Unable to resist, I wrapped my arms around her waist as she put the steak in the oven to finish cooking.

"Open another bottle of wine for dessert." Bella smiled and gave me a chaste kiss. She pointed to a bottle on the counter and a drawer by the sink. "Then you can keep me company and look good."

"I think I can do that," I smiled, pulling open a drawer she'd pointed to, to try to the bottle opener.

"Bella, do you really need to stroke his ego?" Jacob huffed from his perch at the snack bar. Nessie giggled.

"I can _stroke _anything I want, Jacob," Bella said, emphasizing stroke in a completely seductive way. Nessie threw back her head and laughed.

"Mmm, that you can, my love," I said, placing a kiss on her lips. As I opened the bottle, I have Jacob a glare, who pretended to gag.

"Bella, you were right. They fight like they were related or something." Nessie laughed.

"We do not," Jacob and I said in unison. This time we both leveled each other a glare. All right, it did remind me of Emmett and me at bit.

The women both laughed at us. I seethed in silence, remembering a time where Jake and I would've found that kind of shit funny, too. I glanced at him. He looked as upset as I was, but his eyes held a hint of sadness.

Good, he should feel that way. We were like brothers in college. We were very competitive, but it was always friendly. Then he fucked it all up by leaving my company with my clients in tow. I wouldn't have minded him starting his own company, but he took several clients from me that I worked very hard to obtain.

The competitive nature between us was still there, but it mixed with the deep resentment I had toward him. His betrayal caused me to distance myself from everyone, including my family. I told myself then, you can't trust anyone.

"Nessie, why don't you take a seat in the dining table and I'll be right there," Bella stated, grabbing a plate from a nearby cabinet. Alice was right behind her, grabbing a stack full of small plates and walked back to the dining area. Nessie and Jacob left us alone shortly afterward.

I sighed loudly trying to dispel the resentment I felt. Bella's warm body pressed from behind as her arms wrapped around my waist. "One day you need to tell me what the hell happened with you two," Bella said in a low whisper.

"There's nothing to tell, my love. I trusted him and he betrayed me. It's as simple as that." I shrugged, pushing myself away from the counter. Her body tensed from my words.

"What's wrong?" I turned to look at her. Bella shook her head and smiled at me, returning to the stove.

"Nothing," Bella she replied and busied herself with the rest of Nessie's dinner. Something in her eyes that told me, she wanted to say something. Maybe it wasn't the time for it yet.

"Bella, let's go shopping this weekend?" Alice asked as she eyed Bella's outfit. I rolled my eyes, women.

Bella plated Nessie's dinner before she responded. "I don't do shopping, Alice." Her tone indicated that he matter was closed, but Alice wasn't one to take no for an answer. Bella breezed past Alice with Nessie's plate and walked into the living room.

"Why the hell not?" Alice asked her tone disbelieving.

Bella seemed to think about her answer for a moment and handed the plate to Nessie. Jacob sat behind her and looked between Bella and Alice, amused.

"I have a personal shopper, Alice." Bella shrugged her shoulders as I walked behind her, giving Nessie a glass of wine.

_Oh no. Here it comes._

"You what?" Alice's tone this time was one of sheer anger. She got riled up for the most ridiculous things.

"Personal shopper," Bella said extra slowly. She took a few steps closer to Alice. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Bella was provoking Alice on purpose.

"And what, may I ask, does this _person_ get in return?" Alice asked barely masking the disgust in her voice.

"She's allowed to spend whatever she wants on herself. Most of the time, she keeps it under two grand a month."

"That's it," Alice said her face inches from Bella.

"What Alice?" Bella asked clearly not seeing that she was really pushing Alice's buttons.

"The things she buys for you are all wrong. Yeah, that's right, those things don't do a damn thing for you," Alice said smugly while pointing an accusing finger at Bella.

Bella's eyes widened. "Take that back, little runt," Bella growled.

"No, it's true. That _girl _you have shopping for you has no sense of style!"

"She's got better 'style' than you have in your pinky," Bella seethed, holding up her pinky.

_This is going to get ugly._

Alice glared daggers at Bella, who looked very calm and composed. Alice features hardened further as she clenched her jaw. "I want to be your personal shopper."

"No," Bella said. She rolled her eyes, completely brushing Alice off. She may have taken it too far when she looked bored and checked her manicure. "You can't handle the responsibility."

"I can too!" Alice said through gritted teeth before, stomping her foot and placing her hands on her hips.

"No, you can't. I have connections that allow me about forty percent off retail," Bella said in a smug tone.

"You bitch!" Alice screamed and lunged at Bella. Thankfully, my girl braced herself and managed not to topple over with the force of the tackle. Alice started to slap Bella's arms and chest.

Then Bella went for the hair. _Big mistake. _She mussed Alice's hair as my sister continued her assault with her tiny fists. "You did _not _just touch my hair?" Alice face was flushed and her eyes murderous.

"That's right I did, shrimp puff. What are you going to do about it?"

Alice screamed once again, lunging at Bella. Bella quickly sidestepped Alice, had her in a headlock, and continued to mess up Alice's hair.

"Kick her, Bella," I said. I should not encourage this, but seriously, Alice had a shopping problem. I don't blame Bella for denying her. _Man, my girl looks hot fighting._

"Oh my god!" Rosalie said, trying to get closer to them. "Shouldn't we stop this?" However, Bella's eyes zeroed in on her and narrowed. Rosalie took a few steps back in retreated. Clearly, Bella didn't want anyone to help this time.

"Hell no! Throw some Jell-O on them!" Jasper said, grinning from ear to ear. Emmett seconded the motion.

_Why is it when women fight, you can't seem to look away?_

I admired the pink flush of Bella's neck, chest and face. The way her brow scrunched in anger. The way her muscles tightened under her skirt. Her ass practically mooning everyone as her skirt rode up her thighs. _Schwing. _

Alice suddenly spat on Bella's hand that wrapped around her shoulders. Bella pushed Alice away. "Did you spit on me?" Bella wiped her hand on her clothing and backed up against the table, causing her birthday cake to topple over to the floor.

"That designer cake cost me a hundred dollars!" Alice said, kneeling beside the pile of chocolate on the floor.

Bella shrugged her shoulders and looked indifferently at the cake. "I'm sure I could've gotten it for sixty."

Alice took a chuck of cake and frosting in her fingers, stood up and smeared it on Bella left temple and hair. Bella cocked an eyebrow, knelt down to take a nice chuck and then looked Alice straight in the eyes. Alice's eyes narrowed on Bella's hand as she smeared all over her chest.

"Damn, this is better than Jell-O," Jasper said in awe as he watched his wife and my girlfriend start to throwing cake and frosting at each other. Soon, Bella was holding Alice back by the top of Alice's head. Alice tried to get more cake on Bella by swinging her arms around.

"You have a problem," Bella said firmly, "when it comes to clothes and shopping. Admit it."

"I do not."

Jasper snorted as did Rosalie and Emmett. We all knew if Jasper hadn't cut up some of her cards, they'd been in debt up to their necks. "We better break them up," Jasper said. I descended on Bella, while Jasper grabbed Alice. Bella struggled against me as I assessed the damage: she had cake in her hair, her cheeks and all over her chest. I was tempted to lick it off but thought better of it. We had an audience after all.

Alice's short hair was covered in a thick layer of frosting. The girls were still trying to get away from our grips when Emmett ran his forefinger through some frosting on Bella's shoulder. He put his finger in his mouth. Everyone stopped and stared at him.

"What? I'm not about to let good cake go to waste." Emmett shrugged, grabbing another finger full.

Bella and Alice both stilled and looked at each other, then at themselves and started to laugh. No one could contain their laughter any longer. Bella pulled away from me at the same time Alice had and hugged each other.

"Love you, Bella."

"Love you, little brownie," Bella said softly. Alice mumbled something to Bella that I couldn't hear, and Bella replied she'd make some calls.

Thirty minutes later, someone dropped off another cake. The girls cleaned up as best they could but it was obvious that they'd need a shower. Bella sat on her brother's lap as she blew out the candles on the cake after we sang them Happy Birthday. Emmett was horribly off key. A sweet blush colored Bella's cheeks the whole time we sang to her and Jordan.

After some conversations about the nights' events, everyone was getting ready to leave.

"Jordan, Julie will be taking you to see Dr. Cano again. He has a list of equipment I can get for you if you don't want to work-out with everyone else."

"That won't be necessary sis, you do enough already," Jordan said looking up at his sister with saddened eyes. "I'll see you soon, Cullen,"

I nodded in response. "It was nice to meet you," I said, offering my hand. Jordan took it and smiled. Bella gave him and Julie a warm embrace and kiss before they departed.

Nessie and Jacob approached us. "I better see you again Nessie, and soon," Bella scolded lightly.

"Of course, Bells. I wouldn't miss another one of your infamous dinners." Nessie laughed as Jacob helped her into her coat.

"Bye, Bells. I had…a memorable evening," Jacob said, placing a quick kiss on Bella's cheek. He turned quickly taking Nessie's hand in his own and placed a kiss on it before they left. It was obvious that he cared for Nessie, but it was still wrong.

"Bella, we're not finished with our discussion about shopping," Alice said firmly.

Bella smiled gently to my sister. "Of course not, Alice," she said. "I hope you're ready for that discussion." Alice shrugged and gave Bella a hug. Jasper shook his head before leaning toward Bella and doing the same.

"Please humor her, if not, I'm the one that has to put up with her B," Jasper whispered. Bella rolled her eyes. Alice and Jasper left with Alice whining about washing her hair.

"Bella, if you continue with the excellent food and entertainment, count me if for the next dinner party," Emmett said as he stepped toward the door. He took a hold of her and gave him one of his bear hugs.

"Can't breathe, Emmett," Bella gasped. Emmett swung her once before placing her back on the floor. Rosalie kissed Bella's cheek before whispering in Bella's ear, who nodded in response.

Emmett pulled me aside as Rosalie and Bella continued to talk in whispers. Bro, don't let this one go. She's fun to have around," Emmett said to me seriously.

"I don't want to let her go," I confessed in a whisper. Emmett searched my face for a moment.

"You got it bad, man," Emmett said in realization in what seemed like awe. I nodded minutely.

Moments later, we were alone. Finally. Bella locked the door. She turned to look at me, unleashing her devastatingly beautiful eyes. "You should run." She bit her lip, releasing it to smirk devilishly.

I didn't understand the statement or the expression in her eyes. "What?" Bella stalked toward me. A look of hunger and desire in her features and the way she swayed her hips.

_Oh._

Bella sprinted and launched herself on me, toppling us onto her couch. We both were laughing and breathless. Her whole body was on top of me, pressing against me in the most pleasurable of ways. Her hands rested on each side of my face, searching for something.

"You're not going anywhere?" she asked. I shook my head. "I feel that I need to tell you something." She looked scared.

"Bella, you don't have to tell me anything until you're ready," I said. Trying to get her off the hook, of telling me she loved me. I didn't think I was ready to hear those words from her yet, nor did think I was ready to tell her. Even though I felt it, I couldn't say it yet.

I could show her. My hands drove into her wild hair.

"But—" I cut her off, bringing her lips down to mine. I kept one hand in her hair, the other I pulled her body closer. She moaned in my mouth as I caressed her tongue with my own. Her hips started to ground against me, causing me to groan in return.

Bella pulled away first, breathless. "You taste like chocolate." Bella smiled. "I like it."

I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, causing her to laugh. "I need a shower. I have frosting where a woman should not have frosting." She looked down between our bodies and rubbed over one the swells of her breasts.

"My I join you, love?" I asked. My hands slipped down her bock, gripping her hips hard and pressing my need for her against her. Bella mewled before she could respond.

"God, I want to lick you," Bella confessed, taking my earlobe in her hot mouth and sucking on it. I groaned and quickly flipped us so I hovered over her body.

Memories of our first time together, suddenly filled my thoughts. Even then, both inexperienced and a little awkward, but we both fit. She was so beautiful and shy. Her skin was pink during the whole experience each time I made her come. How could I not recognize those beautiful eyes?

"Hmm…I should've recognized that little birth mark over your left breast," I teased, pulling the fabric of her top down so I could have a peek. I palmed and grasped her breasts to tease her. "Hmm, these are much fuller now." I grinned.

Bella laughed softly and one of her hands made their way to my cock. She stroked me through my slacks, causing me to groan loudly.

"Bella," I gasped, burying my head in the crook of her neck. Fuck, she always felt so good. I thrust my hips harder against her hand. "Wait." I wanted to ask her something. Something her brother told me that bothered me. I pulled away to look into her eyes that did nothing to dispel my urge to be inside her. I suppressed a groan.

"Why?" Bella asked, her eyes filled with sudden questions.

I sat up pulling her into my lap, which put her crotch right over my erection. Damn. I ran my hands through my hair, wondering how to approach the subject. "Jordan told me something…and I uh…I'm wondering if you have commitment issues."

Bella started laughing. "_You _are asking me, if I have commitment issues." Bella shook her head in laughter. She suddenly stopped and sighed when she saw that I was serious.

"You have to understand Edward I tried to look…or feel for that special connection, but I never found it," Bella said, looking down at her hands on her lap.

_Oh. _"Do you…" I trailed off unable to ask the question because I feared the answer. She had told my family she loved it. She hadn't said it to me.

"Edward," she said softly, straddling my lap. She paced a hand on each side of my face and made me look at her. "I felt something when I first touched your hand when we were introduced. I felt that something when you said 'Oh dear god.' I felt it when you sat behind your desk and I gave you a piece of my mind that day. I still feel that between us." She pressed her lips against my own. So softly, so tenderly it was as if she was trying to tell me something with this kiss.

"I feel it too," I confessed in a whisper against her soft mouth. "I don't… understand it."

"You don't have to," she said, pressing her lips against mine. She took my bottom lip in between hers and nibbled. I groaned. Her fingers traced my jaw, my cheek, my brows, and the bridge of my nose, her lips following closely behind her fingertips. No one had ever taken the time to explore me in such a way, to kiss me until I was breathless without touching her mouth to mine. She pulled away to at me and her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

_Shit now, I sound like fucking chick flick. Fuck it._

I grabbed her face and pressed my lips to hers. Her mouth parted, allowing me to stroke my tongue against hers. After a few minutes, Bella pulled away, her hands still in my hair.

"I need to get cleaned up and I need to fill the dishwasher," Bella complained with a pout.

"Why don't I fill the dishwasher and you get cleaned up. I'll join you when I'm done," I suggested while placing open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and neck.

"Hmm, that sounds good." Bella pulled my face up to look at her. "No more doubts," Bella stated more like a question.

"No more doubts," I confirmed.

"Good, because I think it's time for me to put my new Tantra Chair to the test," she said. Her eyes held my gaze as her hips ground against me.

"Tantra Chair?" I barely managed to get out, my hands tightening around her hips guiding her movements. So good.

"Yes, there's a catalog beside my copy of Kama Sutra. You'll see what I mean." She gave me a chaste kiss and hopped off my lap. "I'll jump in the shower." She looked toward her bookshelves then over to me, then sighed before she walked toward her bedroom.

_What the hell is a Tantra Chair? _

I tried to dispel the urge to get the book since I volunteered for clean up duty. I went to the kitchen and in a few minutes had started the dishwasher. Bella had a special drawer dishwasher for glassware, which made it easier. After wiping down the counters and table, I turned off the lights. Bella's reference library was calling out to me.

I looked over the books and stopped to pick out her copy of Kama Sutra and the catalog she mentioned earlier. On the cover of the catalog was a sleek piece of leather furniture.

_**The Tantra Chair:**__ A Sacred Exploration into the Kama Sutra_. I opened to the first page where there was another picture of the same piece of furniture, but in a white instead of black. I flipped through the pages and nearly dropped it.

I was no stranger to sex. Hell, I was no stranger to sex toys, but a sex chair. In the catalog, there were naked couples, showing the potential buyer all the reasons to buy the leather chair. Then I realized that in Bella's bedroom, there was a dark coffee leather version of the chair in the catalog.

_Fuck me. Hmm, dating a sex therapist has advantages. _

Once I put the book back on the shelf, I decided to wait for Bella in her bedroom instead of joining her in the shower. I removed all my clothes and ran my hand over the leather chair in the corner of her room. The dark leather felt smooth under my fingertips. The head of the chair rounded beautifully until it dipped to the center of the chair and rose again to the foot of the chair. The best way to describe it was a stretched out S lying on its side. The bottom edge of the piece was finished off with little brass nail heads and the feet were made of tapered wood feet. It was a handsome piece. When I first seen it last week, I thought it was nothing more than an interesting piece of furniture but, it was so much more.

A delicious shiver curled down my spine as I imagined what we would be doing on it. I heard her soft whisper of my name from her bathroom. She called out my name once more before I gathered myself enough to answer. "I'm in your room, love."

I heard the door open behind me as she entered the room. "Oh, I take it you glanced at the catalog?" I nodded without turning. "I got it when I moved in here."

Then she touched me. Her hands were warm as she swept up my back and across my shoulders, pressing her body close to mine. I groaned when I felt her hardened nipple. She felt so damn warm and still damp from her shower. I felt the beads of water as the slid down between our bodies. Fingertips danced down my arms then around my waist to my hips. She'd done this before, often, she loved to tease me there. Then her hands met my arousal.

"Fuck," I gasped as she grasped me tightly. I thrust my hips in tandem with her stroking hands.

"So," Bella whispered in my ear. I stopped her ministrations, took her hand in mine, and led her to the chair. Only then, had I looked down at her. Her warm eyes met mine as I bent down to kiss her lips. Hungry for more, I ran my hands down the sides of her naked body. I gripped her hips and placed her at the highest point of the chair. Bella's eyes were level with mine as I stood between her thighs. I looked at her and smirked, she returned it with a lick of her lips.

_Holy fuck._

Unable to hold back the need I had for her, I grabbed her face and kissed her hard. Bella moaned and wrapped her legs around my hips. The chair lined up us perfectly, my arousal level with her, while I was standing. _Fuck yeah, leverage. _Bella pulled herself closer to me, her warmth sliding against my erection. I groaned into her mouth, because I couldn't take it any longer. I needed her. However, I wanted a taste.

I pulled away from her lips and moved my hands to cup her neck. I laid tiny, feather kisses along her collarbone. Bella moaned softly, throwing her head back. I assaulted her chest and took her fucking beautiful pebbled nipples in my mouth, lavishing them with my tongue. Bella moaned and tugged at my hair to bring me closer. All the while, I felt her slick pussy against my abdomen.

I carefully laid her down as her back matched the downward curve the chair. Her chest heaved with every gasp and breath she took. _God, her tits look fucking beautiful._

I licked a trail from the center of her chest to her small round belly button. With the tip of my tongue, I licked around it, earning another moan and a gentle tug of my hair. My mouth continued to explore the sinfully delicious flesh that writhed beneath me. I reached where we both wanted me most, kissing the bruise, I'd left earlier. Bella whimpered and I pulled away for a moment to watch the goddess I was worshipping run her hands over her breasts. I groaned at the sight. Her eyes snapped open, noticing my ogling. She smirked – _fucking hot._

I returned it with my Bachelor-of -the-Year-2007-winning crooked smile, and she bit her lip, running her tongue along it. That earned her a deep groan, fuck I loved when she teased me. Bella giggled as her hands ran over my arms. I smiled at her once more, and then buried my face in _fucking heaven, fucking ambrosia, fucking mine._

Bella cried out as I took her clit in between my lips, nibbling. Her hands flew to my hair, trying to pull me closer as my tongue teased her slit. She writhed beneath my ministrations, and I could hold her down easy since I had advantage of barely needing to bend down. I brought each of her beautiful legs over my shoulders, my hands took a hold of her ass and my tongue teased her slit.

I tongue-fucked my beauty until I felt her body tensed, she was close. With two of my fingers to help her come, I sucked her clit into my mouth. I sucked on it gently in unison of my fingers that moved inside her. I used the evidence of her arousal to lubricate my pinkie and inserted the tip into her ass. I knew I had surprised her, causing her to sit up and bite my shoulder, muffling her screams as she came.

"Fuck Bella," I growled. I almost come at the mixture of pain on my shoulder and pleasure of the fucking taste of her sweet juices as I lapped them up.

She fell back on the chair, panting. I kissed my way up her body, and whispered in her ear, "You drew blood, love." I had to admit it was fucking hot and sexy that she had lost that much control. That I had caused her, too.

Bella gasped, her intense brown eyes meeting mine. She pushed me back a little, and I looked at her in confusion. She sat up and pulled me in between her legs and placed kisses and licks along my neck. I groaned as she continued with teasing nibbles and kisses, until she came to where she bit me. She surprised me by swirling her tongue over the bite mark, licking the blood off.

_She trusts me. Fucking hell, she trusts me enough to lick blood off me. She trusts me even though I stuck my thumb in her ass – score!_

I ravished her lips, forcing my tongue into her sweet mouth. Bella moaned as her hands traveled over my chest, moving to grope my ass, digging her nails in.

"Fuck, love," I groaned, bucking my hips. I wanted inside her.

"Edward," she gasped. Abruptly, I pulled her toward me, to the very edge of the chair. In one quick thrust, I was fucking where I felt complete. Bella, still sensitive from my tongue assault came at once. Groaning at the sensation of her muscles clenching around me, I stilled and allowed myself to feel every tremor. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her breath ragged at my neck, her hands tugging at my hair for me to continue.

I pulled out, watching myself enter her slowly. Bella laughed softly, watching me, throwing back her head. Her eyes met mine and she smirked, fuck that shit. I snarled before biting at her lips and pulled almost all the way out. Then I pounded into her, hard. She gasped in my mouth as I continued in the same manner.

"Fuck…I'm…getting one…of these…for the living room," Bella gasped in between thrusts as she licked my ear, my mouth nipping at her collarbone.

"Our place…too," I gasped as she grasped my shoulders to meet each of my thrust with a twist of her hips. _Holy fuck._

"What …did…you…say?" Bella said, panting.

"Our place," I repeated as I bent slightly to take one of her nipples in my mouth.

"I…wha…damn it to hell!" Bella screamed as she came again this time, bringing me over the edge with her.

"Fuck, Bella!" I came hard, spilling inside her, pumping until utterly spent. Her pussy was fucking clenching me tightly, trying to pull me in further.

I collapsed on top of her. Our bodies molded to the curve of the chair, her body trembling around me. Her arms and legs wrapped around my slick exhausted body. After a few minutes, my legs were starting to go numb. Reluctantly I pulled out of her, but swiftly picked Bella up and walked us to our bed. I laid her down, wrapping my body around her before laying a blanket over us.

I turned her body so she could face me. I kissed her soft lips, the tip of her nose and her forehead before her beautiful brown eyes fluttered open.

"Thank you for a great weekend," Bella whispered as she laid light feather kisses, following the same pattern I had.

"Pleasure was all mine, my dear." I kissed her lips again and smirked.

"I beg to differ," she countered.

"Umm, I guess you're right," I said smugly, earning me a playful slap across the face. A small one.

"Ass."

"Love."

"Dick," she said.

"Sweetheart."

"Pecker head."

"Are you naming all the body parts you love about me?" I asked, my shit-eating grin plastered on my face, as my finger teased her nipple. Another slap.

"I . . . love lots of parts about you, Edward," Bella whispered but barely audible like if she didn't really want me to hear it.

I snorted. She slapped me again. "Hey that's getting a little old, love."

"Should I do it harder?" she asked with a smile. I shuddered. She laughed, probably at the glazed look in my eyes. I wondered what she hid in her closet. My fantasy of a closet filled with sex toys, sexy outfits, fish net stockings, and corsets, started to fill my head. They quickly dispelled when Bella grabbed my hardening erection.

"Mmm…ugh!" I groaned, bucking into her hands.

"Stop fantasizing, Mr. Cullen, I'm here to make _all _your dreams come true," Bella whispered against my lips biting them gently.

"All of them?" I asked. Another slap.

"No multiples," she growled. It was worth a try.

"Not unless you mind someone else fucking me," she said with an arched eyebrow.

I growled, rolling over her and pushing her into the mattress of our bed. Hovering over her, I hissed, "Mine."

"That's what I thought," Bella said with a huge grin on her beautiful face. I nipped at her lips then cocked my head toward the chair again. She sighed, rolled her eyes and gave me one of those if-I-must looks. I threw her over my shoulder, slapped her ass, earning a yelp. I straddled the middle of the chair with my girl straddling me. _Oh yeah, ride a Cullen._

~oOo~

_Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep_

I fucking hit the damn alarm clock with my fist. I wrapped my arms more tightly around Bella's waist with my cheek firmly planted on her right breast. It was my favorite pillow. "Why in fuck did you set the alarm for five in the morning?" I asked.

"I wanted to make breakfast," she said in a sleepy, sexy voice.

"My love, we went to sleep less than three hours ago."

"I didn't know that you'd keep me awake all night," she replied. I snorted. As if we'd gotten much sleep since we started making love. "Are you sure you're not on Viagra."

I growled.

"Enzyte."

I snarled.

"Maxiderm," Bella said, stifling a giggle.

I knew she was trying to bate me. It fucking worked. Taking on her hands, I guided it to my morning wood. Then I showed her I needed no stinking male enhancements. Two more times.

~oOo~

Since my bags were still here from our trip, I grabbed my toothbrush to cleanup before I left to get ready for work. Bella walked into the bathroom after I finished. She slapped my ass before she stopped at the sink and stared at something in the mirror.

"Bella love, what is it?"

"Umm, you forgot your toothbrush," she said softly.

"Oh, leave it. I'll get it later," I said. I bent to brush my lips over hers and then slapped her butt, running to the safety of the bedroom. It earned me a yelp and a sweet little laugh that clearly indicating that smacking her ass wouldn't be a problem.

"So, you'll be at my place at six-thirty?" I asked by the door, pulling a pair of gym pants and t-shirt that I pulled from my bag.

"Uh, yes I'll be there," Bella called out. A moment later, she walked out of the bathroom, scratching her head. I put the rest of my clothes in my overnight bag, though it took me a while to find it. In our haste the previous night, most of it was in various locations in the room. I zipped up my bag, I was going to be late if I didn't move my ass. I grabbed Bella around her slim waist for another searing kiss.

"Is there something wrong, my love?" I whispered, trying to decipher the look of confusion on her face when I pulled back.

"No," she replied as her smile grew. "Everything's fine."

"All right," I said, kissing her once more. "Don't be long."

When I returned to my apartment, I looked around and wondered why I felt so cold. I didn't have time to dwell on it, I'd check with management later. Forty minutes later, Bella knocked on my door. She looked gorgeous in her dark blue power skirt suit, one of my favorites on her.

We drove to the office, talking about the finer points of the meeting today with my parents. Her project was the focus of our meeting. Esme and Bella had already brainstormed on fundraiser ideas.

An hour later, we were in our office with my parents, sitting across from us. My father looked over the plans and the budgets that Emmett had drew for us late last week. I could tell Bella had been nervous all morning, but she was professional in her presentation. Not an once of nerviness showing.

"Well, you two you have obviously put in a lot of effort to get me all this information so quickly," Carlisle said. "I'm happy to say that I'm all for helping to put this program forward. Bella, I'm under the impression that Esme has managed to pull some strings for you?"

"Yes, Carlisle she has," Bella replied. "She managed to cut my 'red-tape' in half. My foundation should be underway in less than a couple of weeks. I'm still working on the official name but I don't foresee any problems."

"Good. Well, I spoke with the companies' lawyers and accountants and I can agree to fund this current project for one-point-five million dollars, not including volunteer man hours," Carlisle said, chuckling slightly as Bella stared and gaped at him.

Her eyes started to tear up and I laughed at her earning a playful slap to my arm before she wrapped both of my parents in a hug. "Sorry. Sorry, that was completely unprofessional. Thank you so much." Bella pulled away looking a little flustered and embarrassed.

"Sweetheart, it's all right," Esme said. "Now let's tell the boys what we have planned to help with further funding."

"Well, Alice and Esme will be working on putting together some sort of fancy gala. I'll be working on a concert," Bella said.

Esme laughed. "It promises to be the biggest concert of the year here in Seattle. I'm not sure how you managed to get so many artists together."

"Who do you have, my love?" I asked.

"So far a few country artists, a couple of movie stars, One Republic, Rob Thomas, and various other artists. I've confirmed thirteen artists. It's set up for November, a few weeks before the gala."

"That sounds great," I said, smiling at her obvious enthusiasm.

"Well now that business is concluded, how about we meet up for dinner sometime this week?" Esme inquired. I smiled, because my aunt wasn't subtle. It was obvious she wanted to get to know the object of my affection. Not that she knew that I loved Bella.

"Sure, we can have dinner at our place," I said, looking at Esme. Her grin widened further. Carlisle stifled a laugh. Bella cocked her head, looking at me strangely.

_Why are they looking at me like that? _"What?" I asked.

"Son, you said 'our place.'"


	17. The Bad

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Seventeen – The Bad**

* * *

Bella laughed softly and shook her head. "I'm sure he meant my place, since I can cook." She gave me a wink and continued to make dinner arrangements as I sat there in stunned silence.

I called her place, _our _place. Why would I do that? I spent the night there, and I planned to do it as often as she'd allow me to, but damn, my head was doing that subconscious thing again.

I don't know how long I sat there in silence, trying to grasp what "our place" could possibly mean when Bella brought me out of my thoughts.

"Well, I have to be going now," Bella said as she stood up and shook hands with my father and Esme. "I have to head downtown for an appointment." That appointment was giving a statement at the station. Edward, are you coming?" She looked back at me in question, and I shook my head before I answered.

"Of course," I replied, absent-mindedly moving some paper work on my desk. "I'll be there in a minute." After she gave me a smile, Bella and Esme walked toward the exit in whispered conversation. Carlisle seemed to be having trouble with his paper work, accidently dropping some on the floor.

"Go ahead ladies, I'll be right there," he said, as they paused to try to help him. They shrugged their shoulders and walked out of my office and into Bella's.

"Are you all right, Edward?" Carlisle asked as he stood up with his paperwork in hand.

"Um, yes," I said a bit unsure. As if I could tell him, I was scared shitless. Talk about wearing your heart on the sleeve. I was wearing it on my fucking forehead in neon and it read, "I love Bella Swan." With a big flashing arrow.

_Damn am I scaring Bella?_

"It's all right, son. She seems to be fine," Carlisle said in a calm soothing tone. I looked at him, confirming my suspicions. My feelings for Bella were all over my face.

"I didn't even know that I said it," I said. "I don't even think that was the first time. Oh God, I left my toothbrush in her bathroom." I stood up and started to pace, running a nervous hand through my hair. "Fuck, she even told me about it and I dismissed it like it's no big deal."

"Edward, if she didn't say anything about it, you shouldn't either. That doesn't mean that now you should go out of your way to make sure she sees you taking it back home. That may be a step backward." He chuckled at my lost expression.

"Shit, I have no idea what I'm doing," I said, taking a few deep breaths. "My heart seems to be a few steps ahead of my mind."

"Edward, I have never seen you like this," Carlisle said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I never felt like this," I whispered.

"How does it feel?"

"Amazing, scary, beautiful, earth shattering, and like if I was away from her too long, I might stop breathing," I admitted in a rush of jumbled words.

"That's love, son." He patted my shoulder and back. "Did I tell you I knew Esme was the one in less than two days after we first met?" I shook my head.

"Tell her."

My eyes widened and I shook my head again. "I can't. What if I scare her away?"

"You won't. Just as I can see how you feel about her, I can see the same look in her."

"I…I don't know how." I gulped; my mouth was suddenly dry.

"You'll know when the time is right," Carlisle said, gesturing toward the door. I took a deep breath and followed his lead toward my Bella.

**Bella**

We walked into the police station about thirty minutes after the meeting with Edward's adoptive parents. That meeting I learned something. I had known how I felt about Edward and had learned to come to terms with them. And I had my theories about how he felt about me. However, never had I thought that he'd fall in love with me just as quickly as I did with him. This was Playboy Edward Cullen.

Was it possible that he loved me, too?

The whole "love" thing was profound enough but now he called me "my love" and the way he said it sounded more like an expression than a pet name. Then there was the whole "our" thing. He called his place "our place" and it was the same for my apartment. Then there was his toothbrush. I had thought he'd forgotten about it, so I told him. He made it seem as if it was no big deal. Not only had he left the toothbrush, but also I noticed he left a t-shirt behind and a pair of gym shorts. He had left little pieces of him behind, and I cried a little after he left that morning.

Was this his way of telling me how he felt?

This relationship was complicated enough. I loved him so much already, and I was scared about how to tell him the truth. I was going to lose him. I was only delaying the inevitable. Was it wrong that I wanted as much time as I could have with him before he left me?

We were sitting in an office waiting for Officer Davis to return with some paperwork, when Edward brought me out of my thoughts.

"What's on your mind, my love?" Edward asked. One of his fingers twirled a few strands of my hair, his eyes locked with mine.

I shook my head. His beautiful green eyes looked so sincere and even a little concerned. As I smiled, his smile matched my own, reaching his eyes and making me melt onto his shoulder.

"I'm worried about Daniel," I said. I really was. The incident the previous evening was a turning point for the young man. He needed get the help or he was going to get worse. The latter: being anything from suicidal to homicidal. Either one, I couldn't live with. I was going to try to help him.

"Ms. Swan and Mr. Cullen, good morning," Officer Davis said as he entered the office.

"Good morning, Officer Davis. How is he this morning?" I asked, sitting up straighter in my chair. I squeezed Edward's hand that was sitting on his bouncing knee.

"He's pretty quiet right now. He seems defeated. Have you made a decision? Are you putting a restraining order on him?"

I shook my head. "No." I sensed Edward's body stiffened beside me, his hand tightening around mine. Shit, I was going to hear about this later.

"I'm his therapist," I replied, refusing to look in Edward's direction. "I can't help him if he can't come see me. I already received approval from his insurance this morning for supervised sessions. Someone from the local hospital is going to be joining me three times a week along with Daniel. If something happens again then I will consider pressing charges."

Edward's hand released mine, his arms crossing over his chest. I knew what I'd find in his expression if I looked at him.

"I'm glad he'll get the help he needs, Ms. Swan," Officer Davis said, cocking his head toward Edward. "I still feel very uneasy about this. He can be a danger to you." He was agreement with Edward, and I couldn't fault him on this. However, I was being honest, if another incident occurred, I would press chargers.

I continued to meet Officer Davis's eyes, refusing to meet the other gaze I felt toward me. I couldn't handle the look of disappointment and anger that I knew would plague Edward's handsome features.

A part of me wondered, if the look would be like the one I'd receive after he learned the truth. Crap like that did a number on a person's mind.

Edward seethed in silence as I filled out paperwork and arranged for Daniel's first supervised appointment through Officer Davis for Wednesday.

An hour after arrived, I walked out of the police station with Edward in tow. He overtook my shorter strides easily, opening the door of his car or me. After sliding into the driver's seat, he slipped into the traffic without a single glance in my direction. The silence was deafening. I expected him to be angry, however, I never pegged him as the silent angry type. I'd rather have him yelling, because the silence was much worse. It felt like I was sitting next to a ticking time bomb.

Since he refused to look or talk at me, I chose to do the same. As I looked out the window, it was then when I noticed heading away from the office. "Edward?"

"Shut up," he said flatly. I sighed, because it was coming, he just wanted privacy. Would something like this be the breaking point? Confrontations were something I could usually handle; I'd talked my way into peaceful solutions all the time. However, this was different. This fight revolved around someone I loved dearly.

Edward parked in his assigned parking spot of his apartment building. Without a word, he slid out his seat and moved to open my door. With an extended hand, he helped me to my feet, doing all of it in a clenched-teeth silence. It seemed that the tension between us only continued to rise. After riding the elevator up to his floor, he took my hand and walked quietly into his apartment.

The usually quiet click of the lock seemed almost louder than cruel beat of my racing heart. I stood there in silence, trying to prepare myself for what was about to be unleashed. I hadn't prepared enough.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked with a vicious hiss.

I kept my eyes locked on his, my voice steady, though I kept it a neutral tone."Nothing is wrong with me."

"You're going to let him near you again," he said to me, his face flushed, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I nodded in response.

"Damn it, Bella. How is that not fucking wrong?" He came within inches of me, his eyes wild and penetrating in an attempt to understand me.

"I have to help him. I'm his only chance," I said, trying to keep my voice down. Knowing if I raised my voice, it'd only anger him further.

"You can't save everyone, Bella!"

"I have to try." The tears I tried to beat back were starting to win over my need to be strong. I hated seeing him in this state of agitation. Even though he was completely right, I couldn't give up so early in Daniel's sessions with me.

"No you don't!" He stepped closer to me, forcing me against the door. He put a hand on each side of my head leaning in, his breath heavy against my mouth.

"I do. If I don't, then he'll turn suicidal or homicidal. I can't let that happen!" I said with desperation behind every word. Had he any idea how serious a sex addiction can be?

He shook his head, sweat popping up across his brow. He was so angry, that it practically radiated off him. "I don't care about him."

"I do," I whispered. "I can't live with myself if he killed himself. I couldn't live with myself if some poor woman tells him no and he takes her anyway." I couldn't have any more lives – no blood – on my conscious. Couldn't he understand that?

"I don't give a shit," he spat, pushing some of my hair roughly over my shoulder before he fisted it around his hand. "You are the only one that's important to me. If you let him back in then he'll keep fixating on you."

I shook my head. _I won't let it happen. _

"You don't know that, Bella!" I hadn't realized I had said anything aloud.

"Even if it does, he'll be watched. I'll never be alone with him." I tried to reason, but I knew, deep down, there was always a chance.

"Not twenty-four hours a fucking day!"

"He won't hurt me."

"Damn it, Bella!" He pushed away from the door and took a few steps back. "I love you too much to let someone like him fucking touch you! I won't stand for this. No fucking way."

I froze, and I held my fucking breath for a brief moment. He loves me. Tears fell from my eyes as confusion filled his eyes. Well this was horrible, because it wasn't exactly how I imagined he'd say the words. He looked at me, wondering what I was thinking. I stood stock-still for several moments, perhaps minutes in stunned silence.

Damn him, I recognized the confusion on his face. He hadn't been aware what he said. _Seriously, I'm going to have to buy the man a fucking voice recorder, and have him go over it and take notes every night before going to bed. _

I laughed at my wayward thoughts. Apparently, it wasn't the right time to laugh, because it caused him to move closer to me. He put a hand on each side of my head again, his lips a breath away from my own. His eyebrows scrunched in anger, his eyes watching my every move, his jaw clenching in obvious restraint. He looked lethal. The way he looked at me was a bit frightening. He'd never hurt me, that much I believed in.

"Do you think you can fight me off?" he asked firmly, not giving me a chance to respond before he continued. "Daniel has about two inches and twenty pounds more on me. If you can fight me off, then you shouldn't have a problem with him. Do you think you can?"

I nodded. He laughed without any humor behind it. Shit, he was trying to prove his point. He pushed his whole body against me. I struggled to move my knees. His ragged breath was in my ear, but I knew deep down he would never hurt me physically. However, the mere thought that he challenged me like this was proof that he could do just about anything.

"Come on, prove to me that you will be fine," he breathed in my ear. He pressed his body even closer, and I felt all his weight against me. I slipped my hands up along his torso to his chest and pushed him. He didn't budge. Fuck.

I pushed harder this time going for a more sensitive area, his stomach. It worked; he took a step back to compose himself, before snapping his eyes to mine. I threw a punch toward his chest but he blocked it and caught my hand. He slammed it against the door and held it over my head.

"Come on." His lips were so close to my own, but there was no tenderness behind his eyes. There was just fierce determination to prove that he was right. "You can do better than that." I knew I could, too. I just didn't want to hurt him.

"Edward, please stop."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, a flash of regret softened his features. It was gone as quickly as it came. "Not until you prove you can protect yourself."

"I don't want to hurt you."

He laughed breathlessly. I had had enough. If it were what he needed to feel better about Daniel, then I'd do as he asked. It would give him some peace of mind, while possibly a black eye, too. I spread my legs shoulder length apart. I brought my knee up and hit the outside of his thigh. He went down on one knee from my unexpected move. I brought my leg up again and hit him in the gut. Then I punched his face. Damn him, I thought.

"That's for fucking trying to scare me."

Then I slapped him. "That's for trying to tell me what to do." For a moment, he moaned as he rose to his feet, clutching his stomach and looking at me with a bloody lip. I wanted to kiss it but I was livid. No one tells me what I can and cannot do. I slapped him again.

"That's for telling me you love me then fucking ruining it." With tears falling from my eyes, I stepped away from him and walked toward his fridge. My hand was fucking hurting.

**Edward**

My girl could fucking throw a punch and she was pissed. I watched as she walked toward the kitchen, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I'd let myself get that fucking angry. I couldn't believe I said that I loved her and then "pretended" to be an attacker.

Fuck. Fuck up number – I had lost count. I sighed and followed her into the kitchen. She had a bag of frozen peas over her hand as she stood against the counter.

"Let me see it please," I whispered, closing the distance between us. She held out her hand with no hesitantly. I touched it gingerly. "I hurt you." She had no idea what the thought of her in pain did to me.

"You did."

"I scared you," I said.

"You did."

"I'm sorry." I kissed her the tips of her fingers, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I know."

I kissed in inside of her palm, and then finally looked into her eyes. They still held tears, and gently I wiped them away. Her other hand brushed my lip, catching the small spot of blood.

"I hurt you," she whispered with her fingertip still on my lip.

"That's my girl."

Bella giggled.

"I'm sorry." She had to believe that I truly was. I'd never left a hand to her. It would destroy me if I ever the inclination to do so.

"I know, Edward."

"No, you don't," I said, shaking my head. "I said some things–"

Bella gasped, dropping her hand from my face lighting fast. "You didn't mean it."

"No, shit, I meant it." I ran my hands through my hair at a loss for words. "I just didn't mean for it to come out like that or then. I suck at this. I keep fucking up. Bella, I can't help it. I'm new to this relationship thing."

"You love me?" she asked as if it was hard to believe.

"Yes." I nodded, just in case she needed further clarification. It never hurt to be thorough.

"Well I guess you know how I feel?" I cocked an eyebrow, _needing_ the clarification. Bella smiled and rolled her eyes. "I don't know if you noticed, but I tend to punch the ones I love. My brother, Alice…" She touched my lip with her fingertip. "Now my boyfriend." She smiled before pressing her pretty lips on my bloody one.

"Ow," I whispered.

She laughed softly. "I love you." She whispered, touching her lips on my own again.

I smiled against her mouth. "I love you," I whispered back, deepening the tender kiss.

"I love you," she gasped as my arms wrapped around her waist. The undeniable pull between us intensified as I pressed her hard against me.

"I love you." I groaned as her fingers curled in my hair.

"So much." Her reply was a soft whimper as I pulled away to press my mouth along her slender neck.

"Too much," I murmured. It was too much, but sometimes not enough. It felt like I could barely breathe when I was away from her. I felt like no matter what I did, I was not enough for her. I loved her and somehow she loved me.

"Edward, please." She gasped as I nipped at her collarbone. I picked her up, placing her on the counter. Her hands left my hair to start on my shirt. I shrugged off my jacket within a few moments. Finished with her task, warm hands roamed over my chest.

Even after all the sex this weekend, I still haven't had enough of her, perhaps I never would. I loved and wanted her more than ever before. I hadn't that it was possible. Love was fucking complicated. Love could be blind. Love could be painful. Despite all that, I was in this all the way.

I kissed from her temple to her neck as she shrugged out of her top. My hands glided over her smooth stomach to cup her lace covered breasts. Through the fabric, I rolled her nipples between my fingers.

"Edward, we don't have a lot of time." Her fingers make quick work of my pants and boxers, pooling around my ankles. I followed suit by pulling off her panties from beneath her skirt. Fabric bunched around my wrist as I tossed them somewhere behind me. With a grasp of her hips and a thrust from me, I was inside her. My head fell on her shoulder; the feeling was so fucking intense.

"I love you," I whispered. Bella watched where our bodies came together and gave me a sexy as hell smile. Fuck, her doing that shit like that was too much. She gasped against my mouth as I thrust in harder and faster.

"I…love…you," she moaned, while biting my lip, sucking it lightly before letting go. She threw her head back and clutched the counter edge as she lifted her hips to meet mine harder.

We both started to pant and moan as we quickly started to reach the edge. Through clenched teeth, I whispered I loved her in her ear in the lowest, smoothest tone I could. The moment I had, she screamed out my name as she came. I followed with a few more thrusts afterward, twitching inside her and kissing her mouth to muffle my almost desperate need to cry out.

She gave me another sexy, half-lidded smile and then threatened to ban sex if I didn't get her to the office on time. As if she could resist me. Bella cleaned up in the bathroom since I couldn't keep my hands off her. She walked out, looking like she just stepped out of salon all beautiful and shit. Fuck. _Office? What office?_

"We have to control ourselves before I won't be able to walk," Bella jokingly complained as she wrapped her arms around me. I grinned quite proud. She slapped me, playfully.

I still had the shit-eating grin on my face when I entered my office twenty minutes later. The rest of the week went by fast. I met Big Bubba, who was sitting in on Daniel's appointment. I knew she was safe. There was no way Daniel would lay a hand on her with him around since he was bigger than Emmett.

Though Bella couldn't discuss what happened on Wednesday's appointment, Big Bubba assured me that nothing got out of hand. That same week, dinner with my parents was a success, as Bella blew Esme's socks off with her rack of lamb.

We slept over at Bella's place on most nights. She seemed more at home there. I watched her once when we slept at my apartment, she looked at every room and the bed with a questioning look. I realized then why. She wondered who else I'd brought home. Worse, wondered if I fucked someone on the same couch I had her. I know I'd fixate on shit like that if I were in her shoes. Thank God, she had recently moved to the area. It just seemed easier to be at her place.

I was brushing my teeth the following Monday morning as I told her I was going to get go over to my place to get ready for work while she was in the shower.

"Don't bother. In the top drawer are a few pairs of your socks and boxers. In the closet are a few suits you've left behind. I had them cleaned last week," she said from behind the fogged up glass. _Holy shit. _She had made room for me, after I happily joined her in the shower.

"I love you," I whispered wrapping my arms around her wet body.

"We're going to be late again, aren't we?" Bella sighed.

"Yes," I whispered in her ear before I pushed her against the tile wall. We were only an hour late. She was pissed, and she still wouldn't let me take her on my desk. She had will power, I didn't.

Thursday, Emmett and Rosalie had come over. It had been officially two weeks since Bella and Rosalie made that little 'No Sex for Two Weeks for New BMW' arrangement. I sat in the living room with Rosalie, watching something on Discovery Channel. Bella had taken Emmett in her bedroom to have a talk. I heard the door open and Emmett come out almost twenty minutes later. I looked up to see my brother in fucking tears. _What the fuck?_

Rosalie got up and ran up to Emmett, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you, babe," Emmett blubbered.

"What did you two learn?" Bella asked, watching Emmett and Rosalie closely.

"Sex isn't everything," Rosalie gasped, responding the fierce hold Emmett had her in.

"My wife loves action flicks."

"Emmett has a cute confused look."

"I like taking cooking lessons with my wife."

"I missed his laugh."

"I missed talking to her."

"I missed you," Rosalie said, taking Emmett's face in between her slim slender fingers and placing a small kiss on his lips.

"Okay, you two did it. Now go fuck like crazy and Ryan at the local BMW dealer will help you with picking out your car, Rose." Bella winked as she led them to the door. Emmett didn't take his eyes off Rosalie who only nodded minutely.

"Thanks," was her only verbal reply. She wrapped her arms around Bella. After a moment she pushed both of them out the door.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"That was me fixing something that was on the verge of breaking," Bella said softly. I had no idea that something was wrong with my brother's relationship with his wife. "What does that mean?" I took her hand in mind and led her back to the couch.

"When I first met Rosalie, she expressed how much she wanted a child. But she wasn't going to allow it to happen because she was afraid that Emmett wouldn't want to be with her if she gained weight and had big fat belly." She rolled her eyes. "It was already causing problems. When I saw a chance to help them, I took it. They both needed to see that there is more to a relationship than only great sex."

"Um, should we stop for a while too?"

Bella laughed. "Edward we're in the 'wooing stage' in our relationship or maybe the 'newlywed stage'. We're fine. And anyway I don't want to stop." She gave me that come hither look that I had come to love.

I pounced and hovered over her body. "God, I love you."

"I know." She giggled as I nipped her nose.

"Bella."

"No," she said in a teasing tone, tracing my bottom lip with her tongue. I loved when she did that.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to say it."

I pouted. She rolled her eyes, so I widened mine. She snorted, rolling her eyes. I stuck out my lip further. She giggled. "Okay! You win! I love you." There were several small kisses and nips along my jaw line as she chanted it.

"I'll never get tired of hearing it." I put a stop to her teasing and gave her a searing kiss. I wanted to let everyone know she was mine, and that I loved her. "Let's go dancing tomorrow night."

"Mr. Cullen, are you trying to get me drunk?" Bella asked cocking a perfect eyebrow.

"I still haven't had the pleasure of 'Drunk Bella,'" I teased.

"Tell you what," Bella pushed me away and stood up, "if we can successfully pull off an 'Advanced Kama Sutra' position, then you're on for dancing." She knew I loved a challenge.

"Okay, I'm willing to try. What did you have in mind?" she shrugged her shoulders and started unbuttoning her blouse. I watched as she flicked open the top button and the next.

"Take a look and meet me in our bed," she said, unbuttoning another three buttons. "I'm going to slip into something more comfortable." I gulped and watched as she walked slowly to her bedroom door. "Don't take too long."

I made my way through the apartment, locking up and turning out the lights. I made my way to Bella's bookshelf. I picked up the book she referred to, turning to the table of contents. There was an advanced section. I flipped through the book and found an interesting one that claimed that both the giver and receiver could achieve an explosive orgasm. _That's the one._

I cocked my head looking at the cartoon like figures. Could we do it? Bella had good upper arm strength, and she was light enough for me to support most of her weight. _Pair of Tongs- that's on the menu tonight._

With the instructions memorized, I put the book back on the shelf and made my way to the bedroom. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. On the middle of the bed, Bella's beautiful form contrasted against the white-on-white bedding. She laid there, barely covered in black silk and lace. I licked my lips in anticipation.

I shrugged out of my shirt and let it fall to the floor. Bella bit her lower lip as I walked closer to her. She parted her thighs so that I could fit in between them. With slow nips and kisses, I crawled over her body.

"Which once was it Edward?" she gasped as I toyed with the top edge of her garter belt.

"Tongs," I said in a husky voice, laving attention to her tiny navel.

Tongs was all we needed that night. We were exhausted afterward. I'd have to consider acquiring a copy of her book for myself. It was only fair that I be thoroughly educated in all advanced positions.

We were to meet everyone at the club later that night. Bella hopped on one foot, trying to get her heal on as we dressed for the evening out. She looked fantastic in wine-colored strapless top with a fitted black skirt. It had taken a great deal of power to keep my hands to myself, considering she probably was sore.

Jacob and Nessie were meeting us at the club, and I had to play the "good guy" so Bella can spend time with her cousin. We made it to the club; my little minx only had to fix her hair once…all right, twice. _I am a man. _There was only so much I can handle, strapless attire being once of those things.

At the club, the dance floor seemed to pulse, harmonious, like one cohesive unit. There was little room, yet it seemed to swell as more people made their way there. Hand in hand, Bella and I walked into our usual VIP room. Everyone had already arrived, and Bella made a beeline toward her cousin.

Once Emmett had me in his sight, he offered me a shot. I took it, letting the liquid run down my throat. Soon, Bella was in my lap, just where I liked her. She grinned at my obvious lack of control since my hands ran over her exposed skin.

"One shot Emmett, and then I'm sticking to something lighter," Bella told Emmett. He handed her a shot, along with a slice of lemon. She threw the liquid back; the movement causing her to rock her ass against me. I hissed, to which she laughed, winking at me. It only caused me to grope her more.

"Behave," she whispered in my ear. "If you do, then I'll let you take a body shot off of me." She had to be teasing me.

"Now you made me want one," I grumbled against the skin of her neck. She had the most fragrant skin there.

"All right," she replied. My eyes widened. I almost fell to my knees, thanking God for giving me such a woman.

Emmett heard the exchange and proceeded to clear the table in front of one of the couches. Bella clapped and hopped off my lap. As she got comfortable on the table, she moved her hands over her head, waiting for me. I looked her over, mesmerized by her. Then I pulled her skirt down. It wasn't a fucking peep show.

I took the shot glass from Emmett, grabbing the salt and lemon that lay near Bella's head. Temptation had me placing a chaste kiss on her lips, before placing the lemon slice between them. I licked a trail for the salt along the top hem of top.

"You like a lot of salt, don't you Edward?" Jasper asked, laughing from the chair across from me.

I looked up and grinned. "When I'm licking it off of Bella, yes, yes I do." Nessie giggled from the small crowd that surrounded the table. I had never done anything like this in front of my family. I had never really wanted to, until that moment. I carefully poured the shot into Bella's belly button. She gasped and giggled; her muscles quivering, her eyes on me.

"I've been wondering why Edward always has a fucking grin on his face nowadays," Jacob said, though it didn't sound forced. If I hadn't known any better, I'd say he was happy. But I did know Jacob, and he was an asshole. Which prompted me to reply to his spoken observation.

"Three reasons, Jacob," I said, without looking at him, "Bella, Tantra Chair and Tongs." I nipped on Bella's ear, causing her to laugh before she removed the lemon from her lips.

"Nessie, I do not what to _ever _see you do this," Bella said firmly before putting the lemon back.

Both Jacob and Nessie groaned. "That's not fair, Bella," they both said in unison.

"I don't care, she's my baby cousin and that's just wrong." Bella shivered. I laughed and looked in her eyes before I started my perusal of…salt and skin. First, I kissed along her jawline, down her slender neck, and returned to her ear. "I love you," I whispered.

Since I wasn't interested in giving my fucking family a peak of my love life, I didn't tease her for long. I slowly licked off a section before swirling my tongue. With the salt still on my tongue, I kissed her stomach before puckering my lips slightly as I sucked and slurped up the liquid from her sweet belly button. Unable to resist, I swirled my tongue over it before placing one more kiss on her stomach. I swallowed and quickly made my way to her mouth. I took the lemon between and spat it out. Not giving her a chance to react, I slipped my tongue to her unsuspecting mouth. She moaned as I kissed her slowly.

I pulled back as her eyes fluttered open. "I love you," I said, giving her a grin and a wink.

Bella smiled. "I love you." Then the whole room went quiet.

"I guess we haven't told our family that we love each other," I said, helping Bella up from the table. She shook her head and laughed. Alice and Nessie squealed and enveloped Bella in a hug that Rosalie quickly joined them. Emmett patted me on the back and gave me that "good job" look. Jasper mussed my hair. I fucking pushed him.

"Well since Bella and Edward decided to let us know that they 'love' each other," Emmett crooned, teasing me with a kissy face. I rolled my eyes. "Rosalie and I have some news too." He smiled to his wife, giving her the chance to say something.

"Emmett and I are going to try and have a baby." Rosalie said quietly.

Alice squealed again. She started jumping up and down. "So are we!" I looked at Jasper, who had a bemused look on his face as the girls are started to hug again.

"You know these things happen in threes, right?" Jacob said, earning him a slap across the back of his head from Bella.

She poked a finger in his chest. "If you get my cousin pregnant, I will make what the tree did to you look like cake compared to what I will do to you."

"Relax Bells," Jacob said, backing away. Nessie laughed at their banter, while I seethed in silence. I hated how comfortable Bella was with him.

"What does he mean in threes, Bella?" Rosalie asked.

Bella rolled her eyes. "It's just a theory. It's stupid though. It just seems that when someone we know gets married, another two couples step up to the altar. If one couple gets pregnant, another two couples are expecting. It's just weird that's all."

"It's a fact in our lives, Bella. Take Sam and Emily, pregnant, three months later Leah and Mitch find out their having a baby. Both of them pregnant just after Rachel gave birth. It's a fact. If Alice and Rosalie are going to be having a baby someone else in your life will, too."

Bella shook her head. "Well then Esme will be next." She took my hand. "Come on, let's dance."

Once on the dance floor, I could see that something wasn't right. "Bella, what's wrong?" I tried to understand the look of sadness in her eyes. She sighed, giving me a small smile as she shook head.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly and we danced in silence.

**Bella**

We couldn't get pregnant.

We couldn't get married.

We couldn't get engaged.

We couldn't move on until I told him everything.

I was going to have to tell him. It scared me because I loved him so much. It was going to hurt. But I had to tell him. Tonight.

**Edward**

Bella smiled up at me at the end of the third song and cocked her head toward our private room and led the way. When we arrived there, it seemed that everyone was on the dance floor since it was empty. With Bella's hand in mine, I led her to a small loveseat in the corner of the room. I sat down and pulled her onto my lap.

"Please tell me what's wrong, love?" I whispered, playing with a few strands of her silky hair.

"I promise to tell you, but let's enjoy the night first." She laid her head in the crook of my neck, sighing softly. I got that feeling again. The one that told me she was just a dream, like smoke that would just disappear. I grasped her tightly and silently prayed.

_Please don't leave me. Please love me. Please don't leave me. _

"I love you, Bella," I whispered, placing a kiss on her temple. "No matter what you have tell me, I'll still love you."

Bella nodded against my chest, clutching to me, sobbing softly. _God, what does she possibly have to tell me? _I kissed the top her head as our family entered the room again. Alice looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head, since I had no idea what was wrong. She responded by biting her lip and looking away immediately. _She knows something._

She looked scared. I watched as Alice walked over to Rosalie to talk privately. Then she did something I hadn't expected. She took Jacob to the side and the three of them conversed in whispered voices.

_What the fuck? What the hell does he have to do with what she has to tell me?_

Determined for the night not to be a total wash, I rubbed Bella's shoulders and asked if she wanted a drink. She nodded and got off my lap to find a server, but when her eyes laid on Rosalie, Alice and Jacob, she looked livid. She stomped her way to them, and with her hand gestures told them to step out of the room. I wanted to follow so I could learn more, but this was Bella's show. She'd tell me when she's ready. Nessie left the room following the group and looking a little upset too.

All of that was going to eat away at my insanity. I watched from the room as Bella and the others argued. At one point, Bella slapped Jacob and stormed away from them. She made her way back to them and launched herself at me.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I cried out, really freaking out at this point. "Please just tell me."

"No. Not yet. Please, Edward," she gasped, and I could feel her tears against my shirt. Damn it. She was leaving me. I fought my own anguish at the thought and held her tightly. A waitress made her way to us with Bella's drink. She took it, drank it and asked for another. I groaned. It wasn't the time for her to get drunk, it would only serve to hurt her more. Shit.

~oOo~

An hour had past and Bella seemed to have forgotten about what was bothering her. I let it go at the time, but the night was far from over. We'd get a chance to talk later. Alice and Rosalie refused to tell me what was going on and Jacob wasn't telling me shit either.

"Damn it, Black," I hissed, at him, keeping a watchful eye on Bella. "She's with me and I don't know what the fuck is wrong. I want to know."

"She'll tell you Edward when she's ready but I'm warning you," Jacob stood up and closed the distance between us, "If you fucking hurt her, I'll hurt you." He glared at me then grabbed Nessie's hand and led her out of the room.

Thirty minutes later Julian, his wife, and David joined us. After introductions, Bella and Julian's wife Maria spoke quietly to themselves. I watched as Maria smiled, laughing before nodding in some sort of response.

"Oh, Julian," Bella purred in perfect Spanish. "I just got permission from your lovely wife to show my Edward," Bella winked in my direction, "how we dance. I want him to take dancing lessons with me."

"I happy to help you anyway I can, mi Bella," Julian replied.

I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it. The fact that Bella and Julian had been together before, hadn't made me feel better about them touching. But I went along with anyway. Bella smiled at me and tiptoed until she could reach my ear.

"Watch, and keep it together. It's just dancing," Bella whispered and kissed my cheek. She walked over to Julian, placing her small hand in his. He kissed it and bowed slightly as Maria stood beside me.

"They took lessons together before they started dating. She was terribly clumsy and thought it would help with her balance. She sprained her ankle a couple of times those few months, but she wouldn't quit."

I watched, entranced at their movements and easy flow. They were Salsa Dancing. The quick snaps of her head and sensual movements of her hips had me riveted. I watched as Bella wrapped one leg around Julian's hip, their eyes locked, one of his hands on the small of her back, and the other in her hand. She moved her entire upper body in a fluid movement, dipping downward and away from his body and quickly snapped back up.

I wanted my girlfriend back in my arms. _Now._ Bella must have read my mind because she pulled away from Julian. She walked toward me as our family clapped and cat called.

"So can we take dancing lessons together?" she asked, but I could only respond with a tiny nod of my head. She laughed, wrapping her arms around me again.

"Mmm, can we go now?" I whispered in her ear as I nipped at her neck.

"I think –"

"Ladies, it's that time of the night…All the single ladies on the floor please." The DJ blared throughout the club.

Alice and Nessie squealed. "After this song," she said, "I promise. I love you, Edward."

I sighed, smiling. "I love you, Bella."

"Come on, ladies it's time to shake it," Bella said, grabbing her cousin's hand. She took her drink from the waitress that had just walked in and took it with her.

"Where you going Alice, you're not single?" I asked, teasing a bit.

"I don't care," she huffed. "I want to dance to it." All the ladies, including Maria and Rosalie left. I looked over at the guys who all looked like they were bummed.

"Come on, let's go watch at least," I said. Everyone agreed and followed me to the bar. I watched as lines of women filled the dance floor. We weren't the only ones happily watching the beautiful display. Bella seemed to have a spotlight on her as the song stared, but then again maybe it was just the "love goggles" I seemed to wear whenever she was near me.

"All the single ladies, all single ladies." I fucking hated the song, but I watched the quick and fucking hot movements of my girl dancing. I loved the dance that much I'd be willing to admit. Bella's hips started to gyrate and my desperation to take her home was quickly overtaking my need to be a gentleman. Then she fucking dipped and extended one of her legs just like in the video.

_Fuck. We need go home now. _

Bella stood up suddenly, and I knew something was wrong. She placed one of her hands on her chest, the other on Nessie's arm. Her chest started heaving, pain etching her face. Nessie grabbed her as Bella started to grasp for breath.

You know how they say when you know when something bad is happening everything slows down. They fucking lied. I watched with crystal clarity as Bella reached for me as I stood from my seat. I watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body collapsed on the floor.

It all happened before I could get to her. "Bella!" I gasped as I tore my way through the crowds. The music had stopped and voices started to rise. I watched in horror as her body started convulsing. _Oh god, no._

All the voices around sounded muffled, as if they were coming from the end of long dark tunnel. I was aware that Rosalie was on the phone calling for an ambulance, aware that Alice was holding Bella's head in her lap as Nessie looked Bella over.

"What's wrong?" I took Bella's body against my own, pushing Alice away. My love's eyes were scrunched shut, her body trembling in little aftershocks.

"It looks like she overdosed on something," she whispered, examining Bella's pupils.

"She doesn't fucking do drugs!" I hissed, angry that she would even fucking suggest shit like that.

David placed a hand on my shoulder. "Edward, the ambulance is on the way." I shrugged off his hand and glared at Nessie. "What the fuck is wrong with her?" I looked down at Bella's shaking form.

"I don't know!" she screamed as tears streamed down her face. "How many drinks did she have?"

"She had one shot and two drinks all night," I answered and Nessie motioned for me to turn Bella to her side just in case she vomited. "No wait, she had one more before you two left the dance floor."

A gasp was all I heard behind me, and David asked something, "Alicia, what do you know?"

"I don't know. Tanya gave me the drinks for their room." I turned to look at her. Tanya was standing by the bar looking at me innocently.

"I don't what she's talking about," she hissed. "I didn't touch her Sex on the Beach."

Rosalie was on her quickly and grabbed her by the hair. "Then tell me, how the fuck you know what drink she was ordering most of the night?" Tanya winced and shook her head.

Without giving Tanya a choice, she started to search Tanya's pockets. She pulled out a couple of pills. She dropped Tanya like she was on fire and made her way to Nessie, placing it in her hand.

"Shit. They're antidepressants." Nessie looked at Tanya. "How many did you put in her drink?"

The color in her face drained as she shook her head. Rosalie took a few steps toward her again, causing Tanya to step back. "Four or five," she whispered.

"Oh God!" Nessie placed her hands Bella's chest. She laid her head on her chest and closed her eyes.

"Nessie!" I growled, clutching Bella's body closer to my own.

"She's not going to make it if we wait any longer."

I pulled Bella up in my arms and ran toward the door, barking out instructions to my family. Moments later, the cold air hit me like a ton of bricks, and I recognized Jacob in a large SUV. Jasper opened a passenger door for me, while he was on the phone. Gently, I held Bella on my lap; her convulsing was minimal but her head lolled back.

"Jacob," I groaned. "Fucking drive, man, my life depends on it."

He nodded as he floored it, weaving into traffic. Nessie was in the front seat, talking on her cell phone to the hospital.

"Overdose with over two hundred milligrams of Amitriptyline and alcohol," Nessie said in the phone. "Be ready with AC, Sodium Bicarbonate, oxygen and the stomach pump. Mike, ETA is two minutes." She closed her phone, her eyes watching me from the rearview mirror. I turned away, unable to meet the similar eyes to my Bella. Then again, they weren't so similar, since Bella's held an emotion that called to me.

Her cousin's eyes were filled with sadness. I couldn't dwell on that. Tears betrayed me, falling on Bella's cheek as I clutched her closer. "Please baby … Don't leave me," I whispered in her ear. "Damn it, I love you, don't you fucking leave me."

My body lurched forward as we jumped a curb ER doors. There was a group of people waiting there with a gurney. As soon as the car stopped, the passenger door was opened, and Bella was pulled out of my arms by two men. I recognized one as the asshole who bragged to his friends in the men's room – Mike.

Nessie leapt out of the car, spewing big complicated words as we followed Bella toward the hospital. Two nurses started to strip Bella's body as the gurney moved toward the automatic doors. An oxygen mask was placed over her face as others started to attach things to her body. A nurse stopped me as the group entered another set of doors.

I tried to push her away but Jacob held me back. "There's nothing you can do in there but make things worse," he said gently. A strangled cry left me and I fell to my knees.

"I can't lose her," I gasped, running my hands through my hair. "I just found her." Moments later, I felt Alice's tiny body wrap around me. She was trying to coax me off the floor. But my body refused to comply. I was fucking numb.

Exhaustion and feel claimed me, and I finally gave into the darkness that pressed around me.

**~oOo~**

I awoke with a start, sitting in a bright white room. A small hand was on my shoulder within seconds, grounding me. Memories filled my mind as I tried to process where I was and why.

"Shh, calm down, Edward. She's fine," Alice's voice said in an attempt to soothe me. I jumped off the chair I was in, looking around the room. My eyes settled on the hospital bed with Bella's sleeping figure on it.

I let out a soft groan and almost hit the floor again. I took in every fucking detail, assessing, assuring myself she was still with me. Her chest barely moved, her hair tucked behind her ears, and a breathing tube was under her nose. A tentative finger stroked her cheek; her skin was so cold beneath mine.

"Tell me what happened," I whispered, keeping my eyes on Bella.

"Well you passed out in the waiting room. Jacob and Emmett helped you in here and you slept it off." I shook my head since it wasn't the information I needed. "She'll be fine Edward. Her cousin and her colleagues worked their magic."

"Tanya?"

"The police arrested her. She confessed, she didn't think that it could kill her," Alice whispered. I scoffed. "She didn't Edward. She was a mess when they took her in."

"She deserves whatever is coming to her."

"Maybe, but she was … Never mind." She remained silent for a few moments, only the beep of Bella's monitors the only acute sound in the room. "I need to go and call Esme and Carlisle. She should be awake soon."

"This is my fault isn't it?" I said, turning to look at her. She shook her head.

"No Edward. Don't do this to yourself. I know you." I looked away from her disapproving eyes as she walked out of the room.

I sat beside the bed taking deep breaths. There was a fucking hole opening up in my chest. I watched her eyes fluttered but remained closed. She was dreaming.

I was a monster. My past came back to haunt me. It came back and bit me in the one place I was vulnerable. Bella. She meant everything to me. However, she was in a bed because: I was a fucking asshole before her; I'm still a fucking asshole; and I loved her. My only redeeming quality was that loving her, and because of it, she could've died.

But I was selfish, I wanted more time. I would leave, because I had no choice. She was all that mattered. I could be strong and I could leave.

A soft moan startled me out of my thoughts. Bella's eyes were scrunched up. The bright overhead lights bothered her. I dimmed the lights on a panel on side of the bed.

"Bella," my voice was low and throaty, still hoarse from my anguished cries.

"Edward," her voice managed to croak out before her hand instinctively grasped her throat. The hand still had an IV attached to it, she hissed in pain.

"Easy there, my love," I said. I took her hand and brought it back down to her side. "Open your eyes, Bella."

She struggled for a few moments, but her eyes took time to adjust to the light. It took a few moments for her to process her surroundings. "Why am I in the fucking hospital?" she whispered in panic. She immediately moved each of her limbs, assuring herself she was in working order. I laughed silently inside, silly girl.

"Did I get piss ass drunk that I needed to have my stomach pumped?" Bella turned her head slowly to look at me.

"Not exactly," I whispered. I bit the inside of my cheek trying to quit being such a pussy and just tell her.

"Edward." Her hand touched my cheek and I leaned my face into her palm.

"Tanya," I murmured, closing my eyes letting her small hand run through my hair.

Bella snorted softly. "What did she do that landed me in a hospital?" I looked into her eyes and it was my undoing. I took her hand and kissed it and let the tears fall.

"She fucking poisoned your drink, baby. It's entirely my fault," I said in a garbled jumble of words. I closed my eyes not wanting to see the fear and sadness or any emotion behind her brown eyes. I wanted to remember her with happy, love filled eyes. I laid my head on her stomach and her fingertips ghosted over my facial features.

"Oh," she whispered.

I snap my head up and look at her. "That's all you have to say?" I snapped.

Bella shrugged her shoulders and tucked her bottom lip behind her teeth. "I figured she'd try something eventually. She's the only one that had to watch you leave the club constantly with different women."

"You knew something like this would happen?" I asked firmly, my voice picking up in volume.

"There's only so much a woman can take. When she saw that I seemed to be a more permanent fixture with you, I'm sure she wanted another chance with you, but I was in the way."

"Wait. Why would she want another chance with me now? She ignored me since that one night, not that it bothered me."

Bella gave me a small smile. "She saw that you were capable of commitment and wanted another chance."

"So this really is _my _fault?"

"No, it's just happens to be what happened. Eventually she may have tried hurting you. Don't worry about it. I'm fine." I rolled my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. I heard Bella exhale deeply. I looked up, my eyes pleading with hers.

"Damn it Edward. Don't dwell on this, it would do you no fucking good," she said, her tone implied that she spoke from experience. "If you put your fucking plan into action, I will leave town forever."

That was unacceptable. I wanted to be able to watch her from afar. I shook my head. She knew me too well. The only other choice I had was for me to find a way to get her to leave me.

"That one that just popped into your head needs to fucking vacate, too." She looked at me sternly, crossing her arms across her chest. "You'd be one sick fuck to leave me while lying in a hospital." Tears fell down her pale cheeks.

I put my hands on each side of her face and looked straight into her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Bella!" I lied.

Bella looked at me and let out a strangled cry, "Liar."

"I'm not."

She slapped me. "I'll make it easy for you. Get out." She feebly tried to push me, turning from me. It wasn't the way I wanted to end things. It was too soon. I wanted to be able to hold her one more time. I wanted to touch her one more time. I wanted to kiss on her one more time. _._

"Damn it, Bella, I'm not going anywhere." I kissed her lips but her eyes remained closed. "I love you." I kissed her right eye. "I love you." My lips pressed over her left eye. "I love you." I touched my lips to hers, finally.

Her fist grabbed a handful of my shirt and pulled me closer. "Don't you fucking leave me," she whispered against me. She repeated the same words I said to her in the car.

"You heard?" She nodded, pulling me closer. I warned her. "I don't care. I need you closer." Carefully, I lay down beside her, but it was not close enough for her. She carefully positioned herself on my lap with her head in the crook of my neck. Minutes later, she was asleep as I took the time to savor what I could.

The smell of her hair. I'd miss it. _A tear fell. _She mumbled my name in her sleep. I would miss it. T_hen another fell._ I ran my fingers through her silky hair. I would miss it. _More tears._

I watched as one of my tears fell onto her cheek, mingling with one of her own. Even in her sleep she was upset. I stifled a groan and pulled her closer. My shirt was clutched in her hand, holding onto me as if my shirt was a life jacket. Her vulnerability, her fear was too much.

It fed my need to protect her. I couldn't let something like this happen to her again. I loved her too much. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to lie my way out of the relationship. She would see right through me.

I would have to resort to Fuckward. It was the only way.


	18. The Ugly

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Eighteen – The Ugly**

* * *

I drove Bella back to her apartment the next morning after her release from the hospital. She dreaded our return home because news leaked out again about the incident. Her brother would no doubt call.

Though our interaction has been filled with tension, I tried to convey that I wasn't going anywhere. However, she saw right through the lie. Since she'd awoken in my arms, she had yet to meet my eyes. I was aware that she was upset, more so when we arrived at her apartment.

_I'm a fucking prick._

The doctor said that she needed to take a couple of days to fully recuperate and relax. It was already noon by the time we reached her place. I offered to make lunch.

"Just some sandwiches will be fine," she whispered, walking over to her cordless telephone. "I'm going to call Jordan. I'll be in my room."

Once she left, I struggled to even stay upright. I hadn't slept at all as Bella slept in my arms. I tried to burn into my memory the look of her pale face, the tubing, and way she looked at the club desperate to breathe. I needed to concentrate on that; it was the only way to remind myself why I had to leave.

Tanya was one sick bitch to try something on Bella. How could I not see the signs of her twisted mind? When I went back to the club after I had been with her a few nights before, she completely ignored me. At the time, I was thankful that she felt no need to try to talk to me again. In fact I'd been down- right pleased.

Most of the women I left the club with knew exactly who I was, and what I wasn't capable of. Bella proved them, my family, and me wrong. I was capable of loving someone. I was capable of caring for someone.

I had to go back to the person I used to be. Or at the very least pretend to become him again. It was time I took a step back, for her safety and for my own sanity. I wouldn't survive if was taken from me in such a cruel way.

I heard the soft padding of her feet as she walked into the kitchen as I finished putting lunch together. The look in her eyes revealed the call didn't go well.

"I'm fine," Bella whispered, looking into my eye for an all too brief moment.

"Are you?" I argued.

Her head snapped up and anger flashed in her eyes, her lips pursed in a thin line. But the emotion was gone in a flash. Replaced instead by defeat and sadness, and just as quickly she composed herself. "Just leave, Edward."

"No," I answered firmly.

"I can't stand you prolonging the fucking inevitable." Why could she read me so easily?

"I'm not leaving."

Cold, humorless laughter filled the room. "When are you going to understand that I can tell when you're fucking lying?"

"I don't want to leave," I whispered, it was me that avoided her eyes, closing them. I would not be able to hold myself together if her eyes were as cold as her laughter and voice.

"Yet," she countered. "When is it going to be fucking okay for you to leave? Huh? When I feel better? Or when you feel better? Or is after you fuck me one last time?" I felt her in front of me, her fingers moving deftly along the buttons of my shirt. "If this is what it's going to take, then let's get this over with."

I split in two. One side wanted to touch her, feel her and hold her. The other side wanted to run. To run from the fucking pain that I knew would come. I was selfish.

I let her take off my shirt and run her warm hands over my chest. I groaned when her tongue swirled around my exposed nipple. I pushed off the counter, grabbing her shoulders, stilling her movements. She looked at me, her eyes glazed with unshed tears as my lips descended on hers.

She moaned softly as her hands started to play with my hair at the nape of my neck. I licked her bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. Soft parted lips allowed me to enter, stroking her tongue with my own. I pulled her small body toward my own, sensing her jump up. I captured her by her ass, her legs wrapping my waist.

With our lips never leaving each other, I laid her softly on the bed and pulled away to take everything off her body. I wanted to savor each inch her creamy skin. I kissed each of her tiny red painted toes. She giggled when I sucked on her pinky of her right foot. And the sound of her laughter stilled my aching heart.

We could pretend for the rest of the weekend.

My hands wandered up her legs and slowly removed her clothing as I kissed every inch of exposed skin. I continued my ministrations, starting at her ankles. Her body flushed a delicious pink when she realized what I was doing. I kissed every tiny scar and every freckle. She giggled again when I licked the back of her knee. The hem of her tiny white cotton panties earned a little extra attention, earning a soft moan. Desire coursed through me and my clothes joined the rest of her near the bed.

I descended on her body once again. I kissed her belly button and fluttered dozens of kisses across her torso. There were more moans, soft whimpers and giggles. I wanted to commit the sounds to memory.

I would never want to forget a single moment of my time with her. Her laughter was a sound that I hoped, once I was gone, she'd continue to do. I pushed her t-shirt up higher and kissed each of her ribs. I could see the bottom swells of her breasts, and I wanted to fucking see them.

I tugged her top from her body in seconds, eager to see my hands on them. Her eyes met mine for a moment, but she turned away. I wanted to force to meet my eyes, but I knew I couldn't. The pain that would be in her eyes, so easily read, would be my undoing.

With every kiss, I tried to tell her that I loved her. With every lick of my tongue, I tried to tell her I needed her. With every ragged breath, I wanted to convey that my leaving was for the best. I kissed her lips softly, savoring as she seemed to be doing. Despite the tenderness of her kiss, her hands held my arms for dear life. I wanted to cry. I wanted to tell her everything was going to be all right, but we were both pretending.

Her hands ran down my arms and over my back and into my boxers. She grabbed my ass and pulled me closer. I groaned as I felt the slick warmth against my erection. Her hands pushed off my boxers as my lips left her pretty little mouth, lavishing attention on her neck, soon descending on her pert nipples.

"Please," Bella gasped as her back arched off the bed. I groaned and gave in to her plea, sliding inside her, groaning as I filled her.

There was no rush, because neither of us wanted this to end. Bodies' slick with sweat, started to tighten. She came with a silent cry of my name, almost a lament. I continued, thrusting, prolonging her orgasm. She came again which brought me to my own blinding climax, it was almost painful.

After, I slowly pulled out of her and tried to pull her to my chest as I rolled onto my back. She wouldn't let me, instead, turning away from me, shoulders trembling. I cried out and pulled her back to my chest, molding my body against hers. We both silently cried ourselves to sleep.

Sunday morning I awoke to smell of bacon, vanilla and cinnamon. I groggily walked into the kitchen. Bella was at the breakfast table and smiled when I entered. "Sorry, I hope I didn't wake you." Bella smiled a genuine smile.

I ran my hand through my hair and shook my head. I returned her smile and went to sit beside her. She put a plate in front of me and we quietly ate her delicious food and read the paper together. We were still pretending.

We spent the rest of the morning curled up together on her couch watching reruns of Friends. She wanted to laugh. I wanted her to laugh. It was how I wanted to remember her. How I wanted to remember _us._

Bella smiled at me and shook her head. "That is something I could see Emmett doing." I laughed and nodded in agreement as Joey entered the apartment wearing all of Chandler's clothes. Bella laughed and threw a piece of popcorn at my face. I laughed and threw a piece at her.

We played like that for a few minutes before she dumped the whole bowl on my head and sprinted to her room, laughing. I shook off the popcorn and ran after her. She wasn't in bed or on the chair. She wasn't there.

"Bella?" I asked. I swore she ran into her room. Then I heard a giggle from the closet. I flung the door open and there inside of her full walk-in closet was my Bella in nothing but my old football jersey. She laughed and tried to run past me. I grabbed her around her tiny waist and wasted no time, throwing her over my shoulder and took her to bed.

We pretended the rest of the day together.

It was just past midnight when I knew I had to leave or I'd risk staying. I was lying on Bella's chest and the temptation to remain was almost too much to bear. I arose carefully, so not to wake her. I kissed her forehead and whispered softly, "I love you, always." I dressed and managed to walk a few steps toward the bedroom door before I heard her stir.

"Where are you going?" Bella whispered. I turned back to look at her and I wished I hadn't. The bed sheet was wrapped around her waist with her legs and beautiful upper body exposed. I longed to walk back and join her, but I couldn't. I wouldn't.

"Umm, I have no more clean clothes here, so I'm going back to my place."

"Oh, okay," Bella said. "Will I see you in the morning?"

"Of course, love," I ran my hand through my hair. "I'll see you at my place so we can go to work together. Like always."

"Okay. I'll see you then," Bella whispered, turning her back to the door.

"See you in a while, love." I turned and started to close the door, hearing a sob escape her before I'd taken three steps from her door.

Internally I groaned and ran from the apartment. I didn't stop until I was in my bed. I fucking hated my bed and myself for what I was about to do. But it had to be done.

For my plan to work, I needed to make a phone call. I pulled out my cell phone out, knowing she'd be awake. I found the number and hit send.

"Hey, it's me."

"Hi handsome," the voice said on the other end.

"Can you come over around six this morning?"

"And interrupt my beauty sleep?"

"Please, I need a favor."

"Hmm…I'll be there."

**Bella**

Damn him.

He worshipped my body for the past day and a half and pretended everything was going to be all right. He was still leaving. I turned my back from the door and couldn't help the sob that left me. I loved him and he loved me but it wasn't enough.

Maybe it was for the best that he left. I'd make it easier for the both of us. This way, he was leaving me because he loved me not because he hated me. He'd hate me and leave me once he learned the truth.

I would make it easy for him, but if he chose to go back to his old ways to drive me away, he had another thing coming. If he pulled that shit then Isabella Marie Swan was coming out of the woodwork and I'd give him a piece of my mind.

I made it to this apartment just before six thirty that morning. I heard two whispered voices from within his apartment. One was his, the other one a female. Damn him.

I knocked on the door and the whispered voices suddenly stopped. Edward answered the door and he looked, well, like he did after leaving my bed. His shirt was opened, his hair disheveled and the buttons of his slacks were undone. Asshole.

I looked past him and standing beside his counter was a beautiful red head. I smirked internally. So _this_ was his game plan.

**Edward**

"Bella umm…" I ran my hand through my hair, unsure if I could really do it. "Um, this isn't what it probably looks like."

Bella brushed past me walking toward the kitchen. Okay. I had expected her to yell, to slap me or walk away; not go right up and confront the "other woman" dressed in my shirt and shorts.

Maggie's eyes widened as Bella approached her, extending her hand. _What the fuck?_

"Hello, I'm Bella Swan. It's nice to finally meet you." She smiled with her hand still extended.

"Uh," Maggie didn't know what to say. She looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders.

Bella turned enough for me to see a smirk on her face. "Maggie O'Hare, owner and chef of The Grill," she said as Maggie took her hand to shake. "And Edward Masen Senior's half-sister, which makes you Edward's half-aunt."

_Shit. _She turned to look at me and cocked an eyebrow. She stalked toward me and patted my face twice with her hand. "Do you really think I'd start a job without doing a thorough check on the company and its people? If this is the game you want to play. Fine. Game on."

She pushed me aside. "Maggie," she said over her shoulder. Call me and we can do lunch together with Alice and Rose." Then she walked out, calmly closing my door behind her.

"I like her," Maggie said laughing. "She doesn't take things lying down or your shit, sweetie."

~oOo~

I nervously walked up to Bella's office that led to mine. She sat at her desk, but she looked nothing like my Bella. She was dressed in a black pant suit, her hair was all pulled up in a tight bun and she had on glasses. She looked up at me, what I saw caused me to cringe. Her eyes were flat. There was nothing behind them.

"Bella," I whispered.

"Sir," she said in a curt tone. "Your coffee is already on your desk. Your first appointment will be here in twenty minutes. All files and notes are already up on your computer and desk."

"Bella."

"Yes sir?"

"Call me by my name please."

"No, _sir_." She looked away from me and back at her computer screen. I sighed and walked into my office, closing the door behind me.

She was trying to make this easier. Then why did it still fucking hurt? Twenty minutes later Bella introduced two new clients and placed a recorder beside me.

"Aren't you staying and taking notes?" I asked before she left.

"No sir, I have a meeting with Carlisle in a few minutes." With that said, she closed the door behind her.

It was a long morning to say the least. A few minutes before lunch, my door opened and Rosalie and Alice stormed in. "What the hell is fucking wrong with you?" Alice said through clenched teeth.

"Nothing," I answered, looking over a file.

"Don't give us that shit," Rosalie said firmly as she took the file from my hand and slammed it closed on my desk.

"It's for the best," I said, refusing to meet either of their gazes.

"She's the best thing that ever happened to you," Alice pleaded with me.

"Exactly Alice," I snapped. "And look what happened to the 'best thing' because of me."

"Damn it, Edward," Rosalie said and stormed out of the office with Alice in tow. I sighed and ran my arm across my desk in my anger and pain. I laid my head down on the cold wood and let a few tears escape me. _I can do this. I must do this._

There was a soft knock on the door several minutes later. "Come in."

Bella walked in but only a few steps within my office. "I'm heading to lunch. Do you need anything before I leave?" I shook my head, but as she turned to leave but I asked her to wait.

"What was the meeting with my father about?" I asked curiously; if it had to do with her project, I would've been asked to join them.

"He gave me some information about a new position that I may be perfect for," Bella whispered, then closed the door behind her.

_Oh hell no. _I stood up abruptly and stalked toward Carlisle's office. I walked right past Margaret and straight inside. His chair was faced the window as I pounded my fist on his desk.

"Don't fucking interfere," I growled. His chair turned and he faced me. He stood up, placing the palms of his hands on his desk and looked straight at me.

"Don't come into _my_ office and disrespect me, Edward." Carlisle said firmly but in a neutral tone.

"Why and the hell are you trying to take Bella away from me?" I stood up, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I've been considering her for the position since she started," Carlisle said calmly. I was able to see him trying his best to remain composed.

"No. I want to be able to at least see her."

"I will not stand here and watch that poor girl leave this company because she can't be around you," he snapped and walked around his desk, surprising me, pushing me into a chair.

I looked up at him. "It won't be like that," I lied.

He laughed humorlessly, his face flushed red. "That girl that was in my office earlier was not Bella. She's a completely different person. What the hell did you do to her?"

"Nothing…everything...fuck." I ran my hands through my hair and averted my eyes from his darkening gaze.

"I have stood by you, even though I have seen how you treated women. I hated it. It was a constant reminder to me and your aunt Esme that we failed in raising you. But this is fucking sick." I cringed. Carlisle didn't cuss, ever.

"You know what that poor girl has gone through and yet, you chose to do this to her. Despite your feelings," he said through clenched teeth. His hands were by the side of his body and clenched in fists.

"I have no other choice, Carlisle. I can't let something like this happen to her again," I pleaded for him to understand.

"Do you know she has nightmares?" I paled and shook my head. I had thought once that she used to but she said in passing, that she didn't anymore.

"She called Esme at three in the morning, crying that her brother was shot. She was confused. She's reliving her brother's accident and her friend's suicide in her dreams."

"She never had nightmares when we'd spend the night together."

"Exactly. Don't you understand? Edward, they stopped because she felt safe with you."

"It doesn't matter, she'll get over it," I said, trying to convince myself and him.

"If your plan is to keep her close for your own selfish need to still see her, you give me no other choice than to offer her the position of Charitable Project Manager."

I cried out. "No! Don't take her away from me. The only office still left is on the other side of the floor. I'd never see her."

"You give me no other choice. Do you think it's easy for her to be around you?" I shook my head. It wasn't easy for either of us. "Fix it or she'll be leaving your office soon." Carlisle sat in his chair and didn't look at me. His mind was made up. I was going to lose her.

_I deserve it._

Lunch was spent in my office alone and unable to eat anything. I heard Bella return to the office with James shortly before her lunch was scheduled to end. I opened my door slightly and watched as he led her to her desk. She handed a card to him, but not before writing something on back. She smiled up at him and he looked slightly embarrassed as he took it.

Bella smiled to reassure him and placed her hand on his shoulder. James smiled back. He left shortly afterward. He was already going to move in on her. If anyone could change James it would be her. Well, if she could start to date then surely I could.

I spent the rest of the day keeping myself busy and avoided all contact with Bella. I was still a little angry that she would move on so quickly, but I had tried a similar tactic that morning with Maggie.

"I'm leaving for the night," she said a little after six in the evening. I nodded not looking up.

"Bella?" A voice called from behind her. She turned and walked back out of the office without another word. I walked to my door in the pretense to leave, but in reality, I wanted to follow her out. In her office were her family and Jacob.

Jordan looked straight at me and glared. He wheeled toward me, never taking his eyes off of me. "I knew you were no good for her. I actually hoped you'd prove me wrong."

"I'm not."

"You don't deserve her," he spat.

"Jordan," Bella chastised him.

"No, he's right I don't deserve you," I said, walking out of our offices. "That's the point I've been trying to make." I turned toward the elevator, not bothering to see her response.

"Then fucking let her go," Jordan called out to me. I waited beside the elevator doors and pushed the button repeatedly. I heard and felt someone behind me.

"You know this fucking self-loathing thing is pathetic, Cullen. You and I both know that you and Bella belong together," Jacob stated, grabbing my arm so I could face him.

I snapped my arm from his grasp. "I know why you want Bella and me together. It's not going to work anymore. It's over."

"Damn, I'd believe you if you weren't lying."

I growled, "You don't know shit."

"I know that you're hurting and so is she. But she's going to hide it, from everyone and then…it will happen again."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"After Brianna died, Bella was catatonic for almost a month. After that, she was fucking zombie. She went about her day, come home and go to bed. Mark my words if it gets like that again, I will be back," he said through gritted teeth and went back to his family.

I walked into the elevator and turned to look at her. She stood beside her brother who pointed at her hair. I saw her take her hair down, a little glimpse of the Bella I loved. It fucking hurt to see like that, which probably explained her sudden demeanor. Yet, it still wasn't making any of it easier.

I avoided the gym, because the chance to see her there was too great. Bella continued her game by dressing and speaking to me the same way she had that first morning the rest of the week. I missed hearing my lips from her lips.

It was finally Friday and I wouldn't have to see her for two days. I wanted to go to the club to play the part of my old ways, but I didn't have the heart to do it. A phone call to Alice indicated the club scene had lost all its appeal since Bella's collapse. Then she reminded me that I was a fucking asshole and hung up on me.

I spent the weekend at home where my mind wandered to the last few weekends I had spent with Bella. The first weekend at the falls, she looked so beautiful with the sun and wind in her hair. The daydream I had of Bella and me on the trail with our daughter and pregnant with our, had become a nightmare. It would never happen, and I cried myself to sleep.

I had no idea the scope of pain I'd endure when I chose to save her by leaving. It was worse that the wretched memories of the day my parents died.

As another week passed, and I watched Bella get thinner and dark circles form under her eyes. She wasn't sleeping and by the look of her, her appetite was gone. All of it was tearing down the wall I had so carefully constructed around me. I killed me to see her in such a way.

It was Friday, and I wanted to see her before she'd leave for the day. However, she had come in with Carlisle and indicated that she had finished early. I allowed her to leave and turned my attention to my uncle. His eyes were on Bella, his concern for her so clear on his face.

"I'm offering her the position officially next week," he said firmly, slamming my door without waiting for my response. Fuck. The news was devastating and after two weeks of curt nods and "sirs" I had had enough.

It was time I paid visit to the elusive Ms. Swan. I hoped that out of the office she'd be more herself and not the person she'd been since I left her apartment two weeks previously. About to knock on her apartment door, pausing when I heard voices from within.

"That's fine darling, I'll wait in the car," a male voice said behind her closed door. Whatever else was said was too garbled up for me to determine who it was. I froze as the door opened and James exited. He saw me, but there was no look of gloating as he brushed past me. I was fucking pissed since I told him to stay away from her.

"James," I growled, ready to kick his fucking ass for laying a hand on her.

"You're choosing to see what you want to see," Bella's voice said from just inside her apartment.

I turned to face her after I was sure that James was gone. "And what I _do_ see is James leaving your apartment at nine in the evening and you're leaving with him."

Bella cocked an eyebrow in challenge. "It's none of your business, Ed…" she trailed off.

I switched to my old tactic, despite how hypocritical it made me. "It is when you're not supposed to date fellow co-workers," I snarled, my chest heaving from my anger.

Bella laughed, once again humorously. "Nice try."

Someone from within the apartment cleared their throat to get our attention. "Thank you for everything, Dr. Swan."

"No problem, Victoria. I'll see you and James next week at the same time." Bella smiled, opening her door further to let a leggy, curly redhead out.

"Of course, I'm looking forward to it already." Victoria smiled once again, walking into the hall. I stood there confused as fuck as Bella turned away from me. She left the door open. I walked in behind her, accepting the open door as an invitation. I closed the door behind me and followed her into the kitchen. Her phone rang and she glared at me as she picked it up.

"Dr. Swan residence," she answered. "Daniel, yes. I'm sorry Big Bubba is sick and won't be able to join us on Monday. No we can't have an appointment by ourselves." I became instantly on alert. There was no way in hell she'd see him without someone present during their session. "We'll make up for it up Tuesday, how's that?" She listened, keeping her eyes on me. "All right, call me if you have any problems. I'll be home. Goodnight."

Bella hung up, her eyes on mine, seemingly waiting for me. "James is seeing you for therapy," I stated more like a question. She answered with a simple nod. "I thought you were dating him."

"If I was, you shouldn't care, right?"

"I do though."

"What do you want? You want to see me but not be with me. It's fucking unfair of you to become angry at the thought of me dating someone else, Ed –" She stopped herself again and shook her head.

I grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please say it. Call me by my name." She looked at me then, with ire and desire in her eyes. God, I fucking missed it, seeing the fire behind the mask. She shook her head again. I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. "Why not?"

"It's unprofessional." She shrugged her shoulders, walking back toward her kitchen.

I growled, "I don't fucking care."

"Why? Do you miss it?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.

I groaned as both of my hands tugged at my hair in my frustration. "Fuck, yes!"

"Good," she said icily.

"This isn't my Bella."

"Your Bella is still in that hospital room. You left her there."

_Ouch. _She turned from me and walked to her fridge to pull out a bottle of water. I noticed the contents within were sparse. "Bella, please talk to me. I hate this. I didn't want _this_ to happen." I gestured toward her.

She looked down at her loose fitting slacks and blouse. "I lost some weight, big deal."

"It is a big deal. I can't stand watching you do this to yourself."

"What the hell do you care?" she said calmly, the mask back in place.

"Ahhh! I do fucking care. I have always cared!"

"Please leave, _Edward._" I gasped at the sound of my name; it was the first time in almost two weeks since I heard her say my name. "Edward," Bella said it again, walking toward me, taunting. I took a few steps back. "Edward," she whispered breathlessly.

I groaned, closing my eyes, unable to hold her molten gaze. "What's the matter, Edward? Does it remind you of something when I say your name?"

"Yes," I admitted. My back was already against her front door. She tiptoed, her cheek on mine, and whispered, "Edward."

I groaned again, taking her face in my hands and pressing lips on hers harshly, perfectly. Her answering gasp was not of surprise but of lust and want. She grasped my shoulders as my tongue stroked against hers. Her moan was soft, but her fingers were urgent and hard in my hair.

_God, I miss this, us. _She pulled away to breath, but angled her neck so that my lips could trail from her mouth along her neck. "I miss you," I whispered, another kiss. "I want you." Kiss. "I'm sorry." Kiss. "I was stupid." Kiss. My hold on her grew impossibly tighter. "Please forgive me." I whispered against the skin of her neck.

Bella moaned softly, "I forgive you." Her hands left my hair and went to my chest to push me away. "But that doesn't change anything."

"What?" I asked, panting from our kiss.

"You hurt me," she said softly. "I'm not ready to go back to _us._"

"I'll wait."

Bella shook her head. "If I choose to take you back." I had hurt her too much. "I'm a fucking hypocrite for saying this, but I don't know if we can go back to what we had."

"But –"

She cut me off by placing her fingertip on my lips. I kissed it without thought. "I'll stop being Uber-Bella if you just give me time," Bella suggested. I nodded. "Don't pressure me." I nodded again. I'd do anything for her. "Don't look for a quick fix." I closed my eyes, nodding.

"You better go," she said, taking her finger from my lips. I took her small hand in my own and kissed each finger, her palm and knuckles before letting go.

"I lo –" I started, but she shook her head. She wasn't ready to hear those words from me.

"Please, Edward. I don't know what I want right now. I'll see you at the office on Monday."

I nodded and opened the door, brushing my hand over her cheek, "Goodnight, my love."

Bella nodded and closed the door. I leaned against it, trying to listen for her feet move away. They hadn't. I could see the shadow from under the door, she stood by the door then I heard a soft sob from inside as she slid against the door to the floor.

I groaned softly and did the same, resting my cheek and ear against the door. "I love you, Bella."

"I know."

"Please let me back in."

"No."

"I love you."

"I know you do."

"How do you know?"

"I still see it in your eyes," she answered, sniffling gently. "That's what got me through the past two weeks."

"It's been hell," I said softly.

"It has been."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Please you're already making this harder."

"Go get some sleep, Bella."

"I will when you leave."

"I already left your place," I reminded her.

Her laughter, gentle and sweet filtered under the door. "Leave the building," she clarified.

"I will when you walk away from your door."

I heard her sigh and shift. "Okay, I'm up and walking away."

I got up from my spot and placed both of my hands on the door. "I can see that you're still there."

She huffed loudly, and I wanted to laugh. "Fine," she said. "Good night Edward."

"One more time."

A soft chuckle greeted my ears again. "Edward," she whispered through the door.

"I'll never get tired of hearing my name tumble from your lips."

"That was cheesy." Bella giggled.

"What can I say? You bring out the cheesy-movie romantic out of me, my love."

"You can go now," she sang.

"You're still by your door," I complained.

"I'll alert security."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Wanna try me?" Bella snickered.

Damn her. She would call them. "Fine. Love you, my Bella." There was no answer and the shadow was no longer under the door. I sighed as I walked toward the elevator. I slept a little better that weekend.

Monday morning, Seattle was filled with dark ominous clouds and a down pour. Worry had me calling Bella to see if she'd be all right to drive in the horrid weather. It was also a chance to offer an invitation to drive.

"Bella, love, are you okay to drive in this weather?"

"Good morning to you too, Edward," she said sarcastically on the other end.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I left my apartment.

"I'll be fine Edward," Bella said. "I'm almost to my car now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't forget to bring back the Knight file. I have some items I need to renew in it."

"All business aren't you?" I complained.

"Yes," she chuckled. I could hear her disarming her car alarm. "Daniel, what are you doing here?" Then her voice sounded distant. "Daniel, relax Daniel."

"Bella!" I roared into my cell phone. _Fuck. _The voices were muffled on the other end, so I wasn't aware what was going on. Fear gripped me, reminding of that night at the club. I continued to listen as I rushed to the elevator.

"Ms. Swan." Another voice, one that I recognized but it wasn't Daniel's.

"Stay back Derek and Adam." That was Bella, I said. She was still all right. "Daniel, put the gun down," Bella said calmly. _Oh God, no! _The doors finally opened and I pressed for the lobby.

"I hurt her, Dr. Swan," Daniel sobbed.

"Who Daniel?"

"My wife."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Daniel."

"No she won't. I …tried to hurt her."

"I know but we can work through that together, Daniel."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are, Daniel. Please put the gun down."

"Why are you crying?"

"Guns scare me and you're pointing it at me."

_Oh please no! Please hurry you fucking elevator. _"I would never hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't, Daniel. Please put it down. The police will be here soon. They may hurt you if they see you pointing it at me."

"I hurt everyone I love."

"No, we'll call your wife together and we'll work through it," Bella responded.

"She doesn't want anything to do with me. She hates me for trying to hurt her."

"It's all right," Bella cried out suddenly. "Please you're scaring me." The doors opened and I ran full speed toward Bella. Just I approached the building, Officer Davis drove up.

"I can hear them," I said to him.

"Is he really armed?"

"Yes, she said that it's pointed at her."

"Daniel, please." Bella pleaded. Then I heard her scream and a shot fired. _No! _Two armed officers, Davis and I, ran down the stairs that led to the underground parking garage. Derek, the doorman of the building was pale and looked like he was going to be sick. Bella was on the concrete floor covered in blood, crying over Daniel.

"No…" she gasped, pulling in a lungful of air through a sob. "No!" I ran to her, pulling her up, turning her face against my chest so she wouldn't have to see him. "Daniel!" she cried, trembling in my arms.

"Baby, are you hurt?" I asked, trying to check her. I turned from Daniel's body and tried to pull her away. Instead, she pushed me away and laid her head on his chest and sobbed.

"I'm sorry. I failed again." Her whole body heaved from the labored breaths she took. The rest of us watched silently, the only sound echoing through the room were her cries. It was the most heart wrenching sound I had ever heard.

Someone tapped my shoulder, leaning down to tell me something. "Get her upstairs and cleaned up. Keep the top layer of her and your clothing by the door so I can come up in a while and get it," Officer Davis said. I nodded.

When I took a hold of Bella, she didn't push me away. I picked her up and started to walk toward the elevator. She lost consciousness before I pressed the button. I gently shook her awake.

"Edward," she questioned, her red rimmed brown eyes, looking at me. So fucking lost.

"I'm right here, my love," I whispered, kissing her forehead.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. I carried her to her apartment as she quietly cried. Once I reached the bathroom and placed her on the counter, she screamed at the amount of blood that covered her.

"Get it off of me!" Crying and screaming, frantically tearing at her blouse.

"Shh…I will. Please just stay still." I tried consoling her. Without unbuttoning her blouse I pulled it over her head, her skirt just as easily. When the screams stopped, an eerie silence fell upon her. Her eyes were so distant, lost somewhere I'd never be able to follow. Her gaze fell to her lap, staring at her blood soaked hands and screamed again.

I pulled her into my arms, humming her lullaby, hoping to provide any kind of comfort she'd need. Gently I laid her clothes on the floor and I quickly discarded my own.

"Why do these things always happen to me?" Bella asked her eyes wide and childlike.

"I don't know, love."

"I failed."

"He was too far gone."

"I still failed," she said more firmly.

"You did what you could."

"Edward, get me in the shower," she gasped, wrapping her arms and legs around me. "I can't stand it. I'm going to lose it. I'm barely hanging on by a thread."

"I will." I walked us both into the shower and turned on the sprays.

"Every time I close my eyes, all I see is blood," Bella said as she watched the blood, diluting as it ran off her hands under the water.

"You won't," I assured her. "Not always."

"It'll be the same old nightmare only worse, another death on my hands."

I shook my head and took her face in my hands. "I'll help you through this." It was almost a plea, a plea for her to let me help her. Her eyes softened and she nodded. With her cheek softly pressed against my chest, she sobbed.


	19. Ghosts

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Nineteen – Ghosts**

* * *

I washed her body free of the blood that had stained her pale skin. She kept drifting in and out consciousness, and I felt so out of my element. While I removed her under garments beneath the shower, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to help her alone. I had to call her family.

As I dried her off, she watched my movements with a stoic stare. She appeared to be lost in her mind, only moving as I positioned her. It was so freaking unnerving and unlike anything that I knew of her to be.

I laid her on her unmade bed, finding one of my t-shirts amongst the sheets. She had sleeping with them even after I had left her. It was a way to keep me close, despite what I had to her.

If I hadn't left her, maybe the shooting wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have been down there when it happened since we carpool. I shook the thoughts from my mind, because I knew it would do me no good to wish I'd done things differently.

As gently as I had washed her, I dressed her. Bella sat limply in my arms, still lost inside of her head. At that point, I wasn't sure what I could possibly say to make it better. I was at a loss of words and only could provide what I knew I'd want if the situation was reversed. Comfort.

After I cleaned up as quickly as possible, I laid down beside her. With her in my arms, I hummed a soft lullaby until her breathing slowed and steadied. The same lullaby she had inspired but had turned melancholy during our separation. She stared past toward the wall behind me, her eyes were unnaturally vacant. After a couple of hours, she succumbed to her exhaustion.

Once I was sure she'd stay asleep, I went to find clothes since mine were either covered Daniel's blood or wet from the shower. There was no way I'd leave her for a moment in her condition. With my cell phone in hand, I had decided to call Alice to get me some clothes. While I waited for her to answer, I looked in the top drawer of Bella's dresser and some of my clothes. Even after two weeks, she still kept them there.

Without leaving a voicemail, I quickly dressed and decided I needed to call Nessie first. I needed her and Jordan to help me deal with the situation. I noticed Bella's cell phone on the dresser and grabbed it, closing the door behind me.

I found Nessie's number and took a few deep breaths, trying to find the words to get her to understand the severity of the situation. "Hey, cuz," Nessie answered pleasantly.

I sighed because I was about to ruin her good mood. "Nessie, this is Edward."

"What are you doing with her phone? Did something happen to her again?" Nessie's voice quickly spiraled to a panicked tone.

"Calm down, Nessie. You should sit down for this."

"Spit it out, you're killing me here," Nessie cried.

"Do you remember that patient we told you about, the one that showed up before you came that night for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Well he showed up with a gun this morning," I started. She gasped before I continued. "She's fine physically. Daniel shot himself but she saw everything."

"Fuck." I could hear the sound of an engine revving and horns blaring in the background.

"Where is she now?" Once I told her she'd fallen asleep, she continued. "Don't leave for her too long, she'll have nightmares. Make sure she eats. If she goes into that blank-look state, shake her gently out of it. Keep her talking. I'm in Forks, so I'll go pick up Jordan. We'll be there in a few hours."

"All right," I said, trying to clear my head, anxiously running my hand through my hair. "I'll do the best I can."

"Oh and Edward," she said, accompanied with the squeal of tires. Jesus, was she driving? "The police may want her files. Don't hand them over unless they have a court order." _Can Bella lose her license because of this?_

"And Edward, you have your work cut out for you now." With that said, Nessie hung up.

As I forced myself to drink something to soothe my dry-cracked throat, I heard a knock at the door. Behind the door were Officer Davis and a man in a suit, another cop I was sure. Bella couldn't talk, and I wasn't about to let them make an attempt. "Officer Davis, it's not a good time."

"I know, Mr. Cullen. I need your clothing and we'll set up a time to talk to her later," Officer Davis clarified. I nodded and let him in with the other man following closely. "Mr. Cullen, this is Detective Gomez." I nodded curtly, hoping to convey that the conversation he wanted to have with Bella or myself would not happen yet.

"The clothing you're looking for is in the bathroom." I led the way through the short hall and noticed the detective had remained behind, looking around the living area. His eyes lingered on the bookshelves. I gestured toward the bathroom to Officer Davis and held back to watch the detective. Office Davis immediately snapped on a pair of latex gloves and went to work on gathering our clothes.

When the detective made a move toward Bella's bookshelves, I cleared my throat so he'd realized I was watching him. He looked at me for a moment and then went back to look at the shelves. He scanned the covers, looking more closely at some of the framed photos.

"They had a professional relationship. Nothing more," I said firmly. He nodded but remained near the shelves. It was then when Bella started to scream from her bedroom. I found her sitting up in bed, screaming at her hands and tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Edward," she cried out holding out her hands. "The blood is still there. I can feel it."

"No, baby, no," I whispered, pulling her into my arms. "It's all gone."

"No, all their blood is in my hands," she cried and sobbed against my chest, "Jordan's, Brianna's, and now Daniel's." She grasped my t-shirt tight in her hands and pulled me closer.

"It's all right, love," I whispered, rocking her and holding her as close as possible. My heart ached with every sob that echoed within the walls of her bedroom. .

"Ms. Swan?" Detective Gomez asked from the doorway. I glared at him while a growl resonated in my chest. He wasn't about to try to talk to her when she was in no condition to do anything but scream and cry. It didn't matter, because Bella was lost again. Her sobs and cries stopped and she went limp in my arms.

I cried out in anguish, pulling her closer. So fucking close that I could feel her heart as it beat frantically in her chest. Nose buried in her hair, I anchored myself with her warmth and her scent. She was safe physically, but emotionally I had lost her. I had no clue what to do.

"Detective Gomez and I are leaving, Edward," Office Davis said, leading Detective Gomez out of the bedroom. "We'll be back later."

I wanted to show them out to make sure that fucking Gomez character wouldn't mess with Bella's things. However, I couldn't leave her. Instead, I held on to her small body, humming and whispering my love for her.

Once the officers were gone, I called my aunt and Alice. They were heading over as soon as possible, I needed the support. We needed the support.

I continued to hum, hoping to stop her from trembling in her sleep. Almost twenty minutes after she'd awoken, she gasped suddenly and looked up at me. Confusion was so clear on her face and had her pulling away.

"What are you doing here, Edward?"

It was my turn to be confused. "Baby, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I reached out for her but she held up her hand.

"I told you not to pressure me, Edward." She looked down at her body then at me. Her brows furrowed and she shook her head.

"Did I let you in last night?" she asked as she jumped out of bed. I followed and stepped cautiously toward her.

_Oh god, she repressed the memory. _It was the only conclusion that made sense. "Bella it's Monday," I said in a whisper.

Her eyes widened, her lip tortured by her teeth. "I don't understand. I saw you Friday. What the hell happened?" She shook her head and ran down the hallway.

I followed, seeing her fall to her knees once she reached the bathroom. Wary that I might cause her to run from me again, I slowly stepped closer. I knelt a foot away, watching her. A pale hand shook as she reached to touch the cold, hard tile. An extended fingertip touched something on the tile by the shower, blood.

Her body swayed and hit the floor, her breathing laborious and her body was racked with sobs. I wrapped my body around hers, holding her close. It seemed to be the only thing I could fucking do!

"Please tell me what to do!" I cried out.

She hurt, I hurt. Seeing in such a state was breaking me. Soft keening sounds left her lips in tune with the sobs and trembles of her body. Once I carried her to the living room sofa, I sat with her in my lap on the couch. Lost in my need to care for her, I failed to hear someone at the door.

Alice knelt down beside us and brushed some hair from Bella's face. She whispered something to her and Bella responded with a nod.

Alice looked at me with sad tear-filled eyes. "She needs some water and wants some clothes."

The moment I made to place Bella beside me on the couch, she screamed. Soft hands fisted around shirt, her face nuzzling my neck. Alice looked startled and patted my shoulder as I pulled Bella into my arms.

In her bedroom, I placed her on the bed. I rummaged through her drawer and found suitable clothing. Once I was satisfied with my choices, I held them out for her to change. However, she only stared at them blankly.

"Baby, I'm going to help you get into your clothes," I whispered, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. On my knees before her, I slid a pair of panties up her legs. Unsure of what else to do, I chose to continue talking to her.

"Alice and Esme are waiting outside for us," I whispered, hoping for a response. She nodded and lifted her bottom long enough for me to finish with her underwear. Her pants were a little easier since she stood up and rested her hands on my shoulders to keep herself steady. I kissed her forehead after she was dressed, took her hand, and I led her back into the living room.

When we reached the room, Bella wobbled and fell against my side. I snaked my arm around her waist, watching as tear after tears fell silently down her cheeks. For a moment, I closed my eyes to gather my own emotions. It was going to take some time to get her past this.

Once she was settled on the couch, I knelt in front of her to get a better look at her face. "Baby, did you eat anything this morning?" I tucked another errant strand of hair from her face.

She frowned and shook her head. "Just coffee," she said through a sniff.

"You need to eat, love," I said, turning to my aunt for help.

"We'll make something, Edward," Esme said. I nodded and sat beside Bella, thankful that they were here to help.

"Can you find me my phone, please?" Bella asked, looking at me with her doe like eyes.

Her cordless phone sat in its charger on a table near the front door. Before I moved too far, she wrapped her hand around my wrist. She settled her forehead against my stomach and released a small sigh.

"Why?" she whispered.

"I don't know," I said while I stroked through her hair.

"I ruin everyone I touch."

I pulled her up and wrapped my arms tight around her. "Baby, no. You don't do that," I whispered against her hair. "You touch everyone you know in their hearts."

"Brianna, she was my best friend and she's gone. Jordan, my brother got shot because I was friends with her. Daniel was part of my responsibility and I couldn't save him."

"Brianna loved you and your brother loves you. Daniel was too far gone. You said yourself that he's been turned away so many times."

"But it was my job to help him."

"You've helped so many others. Like I said before, you touch everyone you meet with your heart. You reach out and touch everyone. And they're all better for it."

"Bella, he's right. You're such a loving person. You convinced me that I was ready for a baby. You did the same for Rosie and Emmett. Look what you've done with Edward."

Alice smiled, handing Bella a glass of water. Her hand trembled as she took the glass. After a few short sips she closed her eyes.

"I need to make a phone call," Bella whispered. "He had said that he hurt her and I need to check on her."

She requested privacy and I told her that we'd be in the kitchen if she needed anything. Alice and my aunt busied themselves with the dishes. I tried so hard not to listen in on Bella's conversation.

"Sharon?" I heard from where she sat. "Yes, it's me." She was silent for a moment, and I looked at her from across the room, tears rolling down her face. Her eyes met mine and with a little wave from her, I joined her. While she listened to Daniel's wife, she climbed into my lap. Relief that she wanted me to provide her more comfort, I wrapped my arms around her.

"I know, but it's…I tried so hard," Bella said as I wiped her tears. With a small smile, Alice handed me a box of tissues before she returned to the kitchen. "I'm so sorry." Bella's sobs broke for a few second, still listening. "Umm, he mentioned that he hurt you, but I don't want to pry. I just want to make sure you're all right."

After a few minutes of talking and listening, she ended the call. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good-bye." She placed the phone beside us and laid her head on my shoulder.

"Is she all right, love?" I asked against her hair.

"She said that she managed to fight him off," she said softly. "I had showed her some self-defense moves as a precaution. I'm just relieved that I don't have to have his death _and_ her rape on my conscious." She snuggled closer, kissing just below my ear. I exhaled sharply since I hadn't expected it.

"Bella, Edward, I made some breakfast," Esme called from the kitchen.

We made our way to the kitchen slowly since Bella was till unsteady. Esme had breakfast for both Bella and me on the kitchen island. We each sat in a stool and Bella gave Esme a small smile. "Thank you, Esme. It looks delicious."

"Anything I can do to help." Esme smiled, her eyes saddened slightly. I knew what she must be feeling. She liked feeling useful; it had been a long time since she'd had to cook for anyone beside my father. Seeing Bella in her state had to bring up memories of when my I lost my parents, of her sister.

I gestured to Alice to come closer and whispered in her ear, "Can you clean up the bathroom? There's still some blood there, but not a lot. The cleaning supplies over the washing machine." Both my aunt and Alice left to help with the bathroom.

Bella and I continued to eat in silence. However, Bella was barely eating and only moving food around. "Please eat," I said firmly. She already seemed weak and faint, she had to eat.

"Why are you here, Edward?" she asked, placing her fork down and looking at me with soft glistening eyes.

"I told you Friday that I was sorry. I want to be here," I said, hoping the emotions on my face told her that I still loved her. That I had never stopped while I was gone.

"You hurt me," she whispered.

"I know. I was stupid. I thought if—if I wasn't part of your personal life that something like what happened that night would never happen to you again."

"That _is_ stupid. Your heart was in the right place but at the same time, your head was up your ass. You know that, right?" I nodded. "To make matters worse, it was terrible seeing you every day. I couldn't touch you, really talk to you, kiss you or hold you. You were within reach, but every time I wanted to come closer, you'd step away. It was torture."

The anguish was so clear in her eyes. The pain I had caused etched in every feature on her face.

"I was selfish," I said desperately. "It was my way of keeping you close enough so I can still look after you. Then you were so different, it confused me more."

"I didn't make easy for you, did I?" She looked over the rim of her glass as she sipped some orange juice. Thankful to see her eating, I continued to talk.

"No, what was that about?" I asked, remembering the curt nods, the cold "sir" and the blank emotionless face.

"I thought if I wasn't myself, that I would push your buttons," she said thoughtfully. She laughed at my confused expression, pressing a fingertip between my eyebrows. "Then you'd snap out of it."

"It worked," I growled. "I hated to see you like that."

It scared me that she seemed to know so much about me and knew exactly what it would take to get me worked up. When she gave me a coy, innocent little smile, I laughed. I was happy to see her act more like herself.

When we finished with our breakfast, I picked up our plates to wash. After I finished at the sink, I turned to find Bella, staring off again. Though her breathing was slow and steady, her face was etched with pain and unresponsive to the call of her name.

Desperate to reach her, I carried her back to the couch and had her sit in my lap. "Bella," I whispered in her ear. No response. "Baby." Nothing. Nessie had said to try talking to her out of this state she was in. I hoped our usual banter would work.

"I haven't been to the gym since we were last there together," I said with a chuckle. "I think I lost some muscle tone."

Relief coursed through me when the corners of her lips twitched to a half smile. "I didn't go either and lost weight. Ugh," she mumbled.

"Well, I probably gained it eating nothing but fast food," I teased, patting my stomach.

"Well, you do eat like a pig sometimes." She poked my stomach with a finger. I feigned mock pain, clutching where she poked me.

"Ha! Only your food, love," I said, kissing her forehead.

"I missed you," she said fiercely, grabbing a fistful of my shirt in her hand.

I tsked in mock disbelief to lighten the mood. "Not as much as I missed you."

"I don't think that's possible," she whispered, settling her head in the crook of my neck again.

"You can't comprehend how much I love you." She needed to understand that I was with her and that I wasn't going anywhere. She needed to understand that I loved her and I would always.

"What do you mean I can't comprehend? Is that your way of saying that you love me more?" Her teasing eyes met mine, her bottom lip protruding in an attractive pout. She knew exactly what that look did to me. I pulled up her chin, caressing her lip with my thumb.

I thought for a moment, trying to find the words that could explain my love for her. "Your love for me fills a lake," I stated, hugging her closer to me. "But the love I feel for you would fill the world's oceans and spill a thousand times over."

Her smile was soft and unassuming. As if she couldn't believe me. "That's impossible." Tears filled her eyes. She laid a kiss on my lips and I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth and sweetness that she was gave me.

I tightened my arms around her. "I know what I know."

"You're a know-it-all then?" Bella teased, running her fingertips along my jaw.

"I'm the know-it-all?" I laughed, "Ha, that's you, my love."

Bella giggled, "I know." I joined her little fit of giggles. All too soon she stopped, looking thoughtful, perhaps determined.

"Later tonight we need to talk," she said softly. There something in her eyes that indicated that there was a warning in her words. I nodded in agreement but for a few moments, I dreaded whatever she had to tell me.

We decided to change into more suitable clothes since Bella's family would soon arrive

"You kept my clothes," I said, though it was said more like a question.

"I was confident that you'd come to your senses. She shrugged, going through her drawer.

"That must've made it easier for you," I replied. "To have that much confidence in what I would do."

"I could see what you felt in your eyes. It was only a matter of time."

"Then why did you turn me away Friday night?" I asked confused.

"We'll talk about it later, Edward."

Whatever held her back Friday night had to do with the talk she wanted to have later. I feared it. When she walked into the lit walk-in closet to dress, I sighed. I knew it would take some time to get back to us. Normally she would've changed with me in the same room, for some reason she wasn't ready for that. I understood. I hurt her. I hadn't expected for it to be busy, but in the long run she'd be worth it.

Once I was dressed, I made my way to the closet to wait for her. After several minutes, I knew something was wrong. "Bella, are you okay?" I asked, knocking on the door.

My answer was only silence. I chanced a peek. The scene before me broke my heart. On the floor, Bella sat with her knees were against her chest and her arms wrapped around them. It was all it took to understand that she was lost again. I wrapped my arms and legs around her, rocking her gently as she cried. I hummed the still nameless unfinished tune.

Time seemed to matter little as we remained in the closet, only made aware when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I called out. I watched tear after tear fall from each of Bella's brown eyes as I held her close.

Nessie appeared beside me, looking at me with saddened eyes. Words were stubbornly caught in my throat, but in my mind there was a plea I wanted to express. _Please help me help her._

"Bella," Nessie whispered, brushing hair from Bella's forehead. "Come join us in the living room." Bella's eyes widened with recognition. Instantly, she wiped at her tears and pulled from my embrace. I helped her to her feet, wondering about the sudden change.

In the living room, her brother waited for us. I hoped that he wouldn't choose that moment to air out any grief with me. It wasn't the fucking time.

"You came," Bella whispered with her gaze on Jordan.

"Of course, we all did." Jordan clarified. Bella looked to see that our entire family was there.

"Well in that case, let's get some lunch together. You must be starving." Bella gave her brother a small smile and walked toward the kitchen before he could respond. What the fuck was going on?

Jordan shook his head and looked at me. "She's used to taking care of others before taking care of herself. She's sees what we're trying to do and she's not going to let us take care of her. She'll put a mask up until we're gone." He sighed, closing his eyes for several moments. "I'd like to kick your ass but she's going to need you. I'm sure she won't let any of us stay besides you."

"Nothing I say, any excuse could justify the pain I obviously caused her," I said thoughtfully. "I'll live for the rest of my life knowing that I could've prevented all of this."

"Yeah," he said, running a hand over his face and his reddened eyes. "I know all about what guilt does to someone. Do yourself a favor, try to get over it." He spun in his chair and rolled toward the kitchen. The emotional turmoil of what Bella and her brother had gone through and continue to go through hit me hard at that moment.

How could a person deal with that kind of shit in their head?

Nessie sighed beside me and gave me a little hug. "As I said, you have some work to do. Can you handle it?"

I shrugged my shoulders, allowing this little moment of comfort for myself. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for her."

The family sat together quietly through a simple lunch, but Bella hadn't joined any of the discussions around the table. Sometime had passed before the authorities arrived to talk with Bella and me.

We managed some privacy when the rest of the family waited in the living room. Detective Gomez waltzed right into the dining room, followed by a sympathetic Officer Davis. Bella took a seat at the head of the table, and I sat on her right. Davis and Fuck-face Gomez sat across from me.

Davis cleared his throat and glanced quickly at Douche Gomez before looking at Bella. "Ms. Swan, we'd like to ask a few questions and also need you to tell us about the event that occurred this morning."

Bella told the whole event in perfect detail, though in a detached tone with her eyes on something across the room. Officer Davis questioned my involvement in the event. When I told him that I was speaking with Bella on the phone Gomez interrupted.

"Mr. Cullen," my named said in distaste, "We're aware of an incident that occurred a few weeks ago here in Ms. Swan's apartment. In what way were you involved during that incident?"

Of course they were fucking aware. _Hello, we called for your partner here to help deal with it, fuck-face._ I cleared my throat before I answered, "I didn't want Bella to face him alone after what I witnessed before. He wasn't supposed to be here so I joined her in the hallway, while she spoke with him."

"Witnessed before?" Cocksucker Gomez stated like a fucking question, cocking a bushy brow. What the fuck was this asshole's problem? Since I met him earlier he'd been giving me the damn stink eye. I groaned when I remembered Elena, someone I hooked up with before who had a brother at the precinct nearby. _Why me?_

I gulped and the fucker had the nerve to smile smugly. He knew I figured it out. I chose to ignore him because it wasn't important at the moment. I looked over at Bella, who nodded minutely for me to answer the cocky detective.

"The first encounter I had with Daniel was at deli downtown when he approached Bella. He made me a little nervous since she warned him that he had to stop following her. We had dinner plans for that night after her session with Daniel and I arrived early." I ran my hand through my hair, hit with a sudden headache. "When I arrived, I heard her scream for him to get off her and I rushed in to help."

"What did you do to Daniel, Mr. Cullen?" Gomez asked.

"That is enough, gentleman," Bella said firmly. Davis cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"I'll give you a section of his file that will explain in detail each of those encounters. As for going down to the station we'll both be there tomorrow morning. We'll sign whatever needed," she said as she stood up, "After our lawyers look at it. I'll be right back."

Davis and Gomez scrambled to get up from the chairs as she left. She asked for us to wait while the retrieved the file from her room. Of course, everyone in the living room was quiet, likely listening in the entire time.

Alice and Nessie followed Bella into the room. There was something else going on, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

**Bella**

I walked into my bedroom, followed by Alice, who I was still fucking mad at. She knew it, too. Nessie was no fucking better. I just wanted them fucking gone. I didn't need them right now. I knew what they were doing and it pissed me off to no end.

They knew I couldn't kick them out without explaining to Edward why I was upset with them. That explanation would just fucking blowup everything.

"What the hell do you two want?" I hissed, walking to my sock drawer and pulled out my file cabinet key.

"Bella, please don't be mad at us," Alice whispered. I chose at that time to look at her and I shouldn't have because she was crying. "We were only doing what we thought was best for you and Edward."

Fuck. Guilt ridden, I looked away before my resolve crumbled.

"Bella, please listen," Nessie said from behind me. "You're going through a lot right now and we just want to help you."

I made my way to the hidden fireproof filing cabinet behind fake radiator cover. The pleading tone my cousin's voice had taken just made me angrier. Fuck. I didn't need this shit.

For the past two weeks, all I felt was sadness. An emotion that I was damn tired of. I needed to feel anger. Anger wasn't an emotion to fear when you wanted to escape the sadness and the grief. Anger was an escape for me, albeit not a healthy one. Though, it was all I had for weeks. I had been angry at them since that night at the club when they told me that I was played, that this was a setup.

"Listen Alice… Nessie… and could you please inform Jacob so I don't have to repeat myself. You fucking set up his whole thing between me and Edward for your own purposes. Alice, you wanted your once loving cousin back, yes. But you also wanted Jasper to stop wanting to go to the club with Edward. You wanted Jasper home so you can start your family. Nessie and Jacob, yes you wanted me happy, but they also wanted me to settle down so they can begin their life together. This to me sounds more like a damn excuse and cold feet." I took a deep breath and pulled out Daniel's file.

I knew their reasoning, but it didn't make a difference. They ruined a chance of real love and happiness.

"You know what's worse? If you hadn't fucking interfered, Edward and I would've met on our own. We lived one building away from one another, we were attending the same gym and I was already planning on contacting his company to help with my project." I shook my head at the possibilities that would never happen.

"We're sorry, Bella. We didn't know about where you lived until after we hired you. We just wanted you both happy." Alice looked at me with big, tear-filled eyes.

"Don't, Alice," I said, slamming the closet door closed. "I'm telling him tonight."

"No!" they both said loudly in unison. "Bella, you can't. You can't handle this and losing Edward," Nessie said pleadingly.

I sighed. They were of course right, but I couldn't prolong it any longer. It would be easier if I did it before it was harder to let go. When he left weeks earlier, it felt as if my heart was ripped from my chest. But I _knew _he still loved me and so I trudged through the pain. The truth, however, could make him hate me. Not that I blamed him.

I shook my head and walked out of my bedroom. I was pissed and I wasn't in the mood to fucking talk anymore. I handed the file to Davis, ignoring the prick named Gomez. "It's not his whole file of course," I said firmly. "For that you'd have to request a court order, but you'll find all the incidents I've had with Daniel that have crossed the line." I ushered them to the door and held it open. "We'll be down to the station tomorrow."

**Edward**

The tension in the room is palpable as Bella showed the two cops out. Alice and Nessie retreated from the bedroom and embraced their significant others. They both looked as if they'd been crying. What the hell happened in that room?

Bella literally pushed the cops out the door. The family and I watched as she walked to the nearest wall, leaned against it, then slid down until she sat on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

"Get out," she whispered as she rested her forehead on her knees. No one moved. "Get out," she said more firmly.

"We're not leaving," Jordan said, moving a little closer to her.

"Get out!" Bella roared at her brother then looked at each person, including me.

"Bella," I whispered as I tried to take a few steps toward her.

"No," she gasped, holding up her hand. "Please go. All. Of. You. I have so much pent up anger, grief and shit that I've been hiding behind for too fucking long and I don't want to say something I'll regret. So please just go."

"Bells," Jacob said from across the room.

"Ahhhh!" Bella lifted her face, flushed and her chest heaved with laborious breaths. "Damn it. Why won't you listen! All right then. Here you go. I'm fucking pissed right now. I have so much shit in my head that it's slowly driving me insane. I have seen more fucked up shit in the last six years than most people ever seen in their entire lives. I saw my best friend wield a gun. I saw my brother covered in blood, dying." She sobbed, trying to catch her breath. "I saw my best friend shoot herself in the damn head." More sobs racked savagely through her body. "Come on people, I had pieces of skull on my clothes. You have any idea what's that's like?" She screamed, gasping periodically while her whole body trembled.

My hand rubbed at the ache in my chest, my other wiped at the tears that welled in my own eyes. The rest of the family was in the same state of despair, because the pain radiated from Bella. Jordan had a pained look on his face as he stared back at his sister.

"Then I have to go to a morgue almost a year later on my birthday to indentify my dead parents. At the same time, I had to deal with my brother that had given up on living. That _I_ have to take care of. It's my job to make sure that no one else goes through what I went through, what he went through. I have to deal with someone trying to kill me. Then the one person that I believed to be the love of my life, fucking leaves me."

I winced as I watched Bella, who was no longer crying, but looked angry. Bella looked at Alice as she continued. "I find out that people I trusted betrayed me, which makes me a hypocrite." She looked back down to the floor and laughed darkly. "Yeah. I'm fucking peachy."

For several moments she remained quiet then rose to her feet. "Then there is of course the event of this morning, where I watched a man that reminded me of my brother blow is fucking brains out! Do you have any idea what that image conjured up? That I'll see that and everything else every time I close my eyes.

"There are you happy. You all know what's upsetting me. Now fucking leave." With her rant over, she stalked toward her bedroom and slammed the door behind her

It was only then that Jordan turned his attention to Alice. "What the hell was that about betraying her, Alice?" She shook her head, looking over at Jacob for a moment. I wanted the answer to that question but it wasn't my concern at the time. Bella was my number one priority.

"She's always been the strong one," Nessie whispered, laying her head on Jacob's chest. "It feels unnatural seeing her like this."

"We should go," Jasper said. Everyone agreed accept for Jordan.

He sighed as he gave me a hard look. "You need to stay." I nodded and was alone after a few minutes and arrangements for phone calls to keep them up to date.

_What do I do now?_

**Bella**

I slammed the door and locked it behind me. It was only because I needed a few minutes to myself, since I knew Edward would stay. He was stubborn and would do all he could to help.

I was at a loss about telling him, after all this. It was so much to process and to add the pain of his departure again could destroy me. However, it was wrong to wait, too. I had a choice to make.

I thanked the heavens that I chose to put my subject files in music CD cases that were carefully hidden among the few hundred that lined the shelves in my second bedroom-slash-office. All ten subjects, each on their own CD, no evidence of those files left behind anywhere else. Even my expense reports and payments were hidden, sitting in a nice account in the Cayman Islands.

It wasn't actually illegal since I asked only for my expenses to paid, not my services. _That sounded lame even to me. _It was more unethical and unconventional. I had gone through the guidelines, and I found my loophole if I ever did get caught. I'd been cautious, making sure that I was only contacted by people who knew a previous subject or client.

That should've been my first fucking warning. Alice said that Jacob was the one that referred me to her. I should've known then that this was all a fucking game with them. A game that Edward and I were the pawns. I had to tell Edward the truth.

I walked out of my room, noticing Edward pacing in the hallway. He stopped suddenly when I appeared. I walked over to the second room where I had my other library and office set up. I heard him follow me as I scanned the shelf looking for his file. I disguised it in a Debussy CD.

I pulled it out, flipping it in my hand then I looked up at him. _What do I do?_

**Edward**

"Don't you have that on your iPod?" I asked, hoping to get her to talk. Bella nodded but averted her eyes.

"We need to talk," she whispered.

"Okay." I took a few tentative steps toward her. Never had a conversation been good that started with those infamous four words.

"What I'm going to tell you isn't something you're going to like." Bella sighed, placing the CD she held on a small round table beside a small loveseat. "In fact, I think you're going to hate me."

_Oh God. Baby, I can't take much more. _"Then don't tell me," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly.

Bella looked up at me, her eyes soft and glistening from her earlier tears. "I have to tell you. It's about us."

"Do you want it over between us?" I asked, wondering if she could still love me after the damage I had inflicted.

"No. Of course I don't, but this is important." Bella sighed before she took a few steps toward me.

I shook my head, taking a step back. "I don't want to know. If you think that it will end us then don't tell me," I said firmly, fear and pain coloring my voice. "Bella, when I saw you collapse, it was like a little part of me died. I held you in my arms, you're trembling body and I felt like I was dying."

I took a few deep breaths to gather myself. Fuck, I'd been doing that a lot lately. "The whole time after I left you, I was miserable. I was not myself, because I wasn't whole. Then this morning when I…I thought he shot you…oh God—" A sound tore through my chest.

I fell to my knees, remembering the terror and the hole that ripped through my heart when I thought she was gone. Bella rushed to my side, wrapping her arms around me. Comforting me.

"Edward, we can't have something like this hanging over our heads," Bella whispered, her tears flowing freely again.

I continued to deny her and wrapped my arms around her. "If it's going to take me away from you then it's not worth knowing." I pulled her closer, squeezing her tighter. "I can't lose you again, Bella. I don't know how else to explain it. I feel like a piece of me is gone when we're apart. I can't go through that again."

"But Edward, don't you want to know?" Bella whispered against my neck. I shook my head and then finally, she sighed in defeat.

"I'm so tired. Can I go to sleep for a while?" she asked softly. I nodded, happy that she let this topic go.

I picked her up and carried her to her bed to lie down. I removed her trainers and drew the blankets around her. "I'll wake you up in a while to eat. You didn't eat much earlier." She nodded, placing her hands under her head on her pillow. I kissed her forehead softly before leaving. I didn't want to presume she'd want me in her bed yet.

I walked into the spare bedroom that Bella had converted into an office. The CD she had earlier sat on the end table, I picked up to replace it on the shelf. Debussy—I sighed it had been a long time since I played. I hadn't found the inspiration to do so, but it was time to dust off the piano and play again. The piece that was floating in my head since I met Bella needed to be completed.

What I also needed was something to soothe my nerves. As I put in the CD into the player in Bella's nice sound system, I heard Bella call out. "Edward." She sounded desperate.

When I opened her bedroom door I found her sitting in bed in tears again. Her bottom lip trembled as she spoke. "All I see is red when I close my eyes."

I approached the bed with caution, still so unsure of what I could do for her. The only thing that I could provide was comfort. Something I hadn't ever done before. I cupped her face in my hands, brushing my lips over her own.

"I can't even imagine," I whispered, skin on skin.

She looked up from under her lashes, finding something I thought I had lost. Her love for me shined in her eyes, looking breathtakingly beautiful. "I need you."

She had no idea the power those words held. It said everything in such simple words. No more words were needed for her to know that I felt the same. Climbing into bed with her, she shifted and moved over me. I groaned, welcoming the warmth and the closeness of her. Breathless, I wrapped my arms around her as she laid kiss after kiss along my neck.

Before long, she started to nip at my earlobe, and I couldn't help the moan that left my lips. "Bella." In attempt to pull her closer still, I breathed her name as chant upon my lips. I knew I'd never deny her

"Edward, please." My weakness.

Slowly she stood up, hovering above me with naked desire clear in her eyes. Soft hands moved her body, enticing another groan. I watched with rapt attention as she removed her clothing, panties, pants, shirt and bra laid strewn around the room.

Unable to resist, I ran my hands up her calves and thighs until I met the firm softness of her ass. Still clothed, she knelt between my legs, delving her hands under my t-shirt. A stifled groan left me as her fingertips ran over my muscles, twitching to touch. Soon my clothes joined hers on the floor.

Wet, searing kisses left me begging her for more. Moans, sighs and groans had me pulling her up to kiss her mouth. Our hands seeking every inch of exposed skin. With my hands I guided her where I needed her most. I placed one of her hands over my heart; the other helped to take me inside her. She didn't fight me but pleaded in gentle whispers in my ear. Both of us groaned at the sensation of being complete once again.

We moved slowly against each other. Hips rocked over me, my hands guiding her. She tugged on my hair gently, moving her mouth over mine. "I love you," she whispered, finally.

"I love you," I gasped as her hips increased in tempo. Thrust for thrust, closer to the peak. Her soft whimpers increased as my own took on a huskier grunt.

Bella pulled back to let out a deep, raspy moan. Her face was full of pleasure as she threw her head back. I watched as she moved above me, my hands roaming over every curve. Need had my hands move over the flat of her stomach, up to in between her breasts to her cup her neck and pull her head back down to me.

Her hands found purchase in my hair as my lips met hers. I thrust deeper and harder inside her when I felt that she was close. The pressure to let go was overwhelming. I whispered her name, gasped "my life" over and over again. She was my life. Without her, it would have no real meaning.

With a final push and pull, we let go. Minutes passed in each other's arms. None of us had the heart to pull away. We eventually succumbed to sleep.

Though sleep had claimed us that night, it was not a sound slumber. Nightmares plagued her, despite my presence. The following I joined her and met Sharon, Daniel's wife. Bella helped her make arrangements since both of their families lived too far away and were flying in that day.

Bella kept everyone besides me at bay, so I had to take the week off to be with her. It was vital for her to have someone with her, made obvious when she awoke from a nightmare the following Tuesday and insisted on showering to wash off all the blood.

We both cried ourselves to sleep that night.

From that night on, I watched her carefully to make sure she wouldn't lose herself. It scared me when I found her staring off. Every time it took a considerable amount of time for me to pull her out of it of her state. The funeral went off without any problems, and Bella read a passage from Daniel's journal during the eulogy. It was a loving message to his wife and his mother.

I understood then why Bella was so desperate to save him. He was full of life and capable of loving someone. He was just consumed with an addiction. Something he tried to come back from but was too lost to his form of heroine.

The night of the funeral Bella slept soundly. Thought she hadn't awoken from a nightmare, she whispered Daniel's name in her sleep. It felt like she was trying to say good-bye. Bella cancelled all of her appointments she had for several weeks. The board reported had her under investigation for Daniel's case. Until the matter was closed, she would not be able to practice.

Since that day, Bella refused to go down to the parking garage. We'd always walk over to my apartment to take my car. We hadn't been intimate since that first night, but that was okay. She hadn't come to me and I hadn't either. I would wait for her. It wasn't something we needed to be together. My only priority was her and her well being. And her well being and state of mind were in jeopardy. Her appetite was no existent and her sleeping habits were still no better.

When we had returned from signing our statements at the police station, she went into her automatic mode and worried that I hadn't had much to eat. She went into the kitchen to make lunch, and I remained by her side to watch and keep her talking.

On the surface, my Bella was there in intervals, but for the most part, deep down she was drowning in her own grief and despair. I wanted to bring her out of it and that required me to take her away from Seattle for a while, just us.

"Love, I was wondering if you'd like to leave the city for the weekend," I asked, watching her flip a burger on the grill.

She sighed softly, but I saw the small smile at her lips. That small gesture gave me hope. "I thought you'd never ask." She looked up from the stove to meet my gaze, giving me a beautiful smile. "Just us?"

"Just us," I replied with my own matching grin.

"Hmm, somewhere sunny?" She cocked an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

"California?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded. "I need to get a new bikini," she said suggestively. I groaned before giving her a smirk.

"We'll need a private beach," I said with a wink. I thought of my beach house in Carmel when I first made the suggestion. She removed the two burgers from the stove and placed them on plated buns and a side of fries.

"So when do we leave?" Setting the plates, I pulled her on to my lap and kissed her.

"Tomorrow," I whispered, continuing along her cheek to her ear.

She shivered. "Tomorrow, shit I have someone coming over. Umm, tomorrow afternoon?" She offered.

"Who's coming over?"

"I'm going to sing a song with a friend during the Charity concert. We need to choose a song and he's coming over since he's in town visiting a friend this weekend." She dipped a French fry in ketchup and held it up to my mouth.

"He?" I cocked an eyebrow in question, taking the crisp fry in my mouth.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Rob Thomas."

"You're singing something with him?" I was impressed. I'd heard her hum and sing a few words but always softly.

"Yes, I met him and his wife when I helped contribute to his foundation Sidewalk Angels a few years ago. So he offered weeks ago when I told him I was planning a concert. He even helped gather some of the other artists."

Her smile was so beautiful and just so her. I wanted to keep her talking, because I noticed that she was eating more. She sat with me and allowed me to feed her fries as she took small bites of her burger.

"Have you decided on a name for your foundation?" I asked, taking another fry from her and sucking on her finger. She giggled playfully and pinched my nose.

"I was thinking 'New Beginnings.'"

"It makes sense. The foundation's main focus are battered woman and children, no-kill animal shelters and rescue teams, the homeless and of course, children's hospitals. It's perfect, my love."

"Thank you." Bella smiled as I held up another fry. I took another and smeared the ketchup on her cheek. She looked me confused until I wiggled my eyebrows. I licked off the ketchup off her, earning a fit of giggles.

"Ew!" Bella said as she shook her head, trying to push my face away. I laughed with her but Bella suddenly stilled and gone quiet. My eyes zeroed on her hand. Ketchup was on her palm. _Oh shit. _

My first thought that it looked like blood was on her hand. I grabbed a nearby napkin and made to wipe it off, but she stopped me. She looked at her hand and dragged a fingertip, smearing it into a thin line.

"Blood and pain is in my life line. That's all I've really known for so long," she said as she took the napkin I had offered. Her eyes still consumed with the loss she felt. "You're the one that showed me there's more to my life than that, Edward. Thank you." Tears slipped from her eyes.

"I should be thanking you. You made my once cold black heart beat again," I whispered wrapping my arms around her. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she looked at me.

"Make love to me, Edward," she whispered, peppering kisses on my face. I groaned and kissed her lips as I pulled her up onto her feet.

Within moments, I laid her on our bed and whispered, "I love you, my love and my life." _My wife._


	20. I Need You

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty – I Need You**

* * *

We made arrangements for our trip that night. Early Friday morning, I decided I needed to go into the office so I could clear my schedule for the next few days.

Bella wasn't up for shopping and had to ask Alice for a few things for our trip. I wasn't aware of the circumstances that led to their estrangement, which was evident from their telephone conversation the previous morning. When I asked Bella about it she indicated that it had to do with what she had to tell me. I told her I didn't want to know. It seemed she was a little relieved. And I chose not to dwell on it.

Was I being childish or naïve? Yes, but I had no choice. Perhaps it was self-preservation. I had to have her in my life for me to survive. It was as simple as that.

As I rushed to get ready, Bella was flitting in and out of the bathroom getting ready, too. That was unexpected. _She didn't think she's going to work, did she?_

"Edward, it's only five thirty in the morning. No one is going to be at the office. Would you like me to join you?" Her tone was soft but there was huskiness to it. I cocked an eyebrow in question. The look she gave me was one of lust and desire. I caught on.

_Fuck yeah. _I nodded, staring at her retreating figure. She had on the same outfit from when I first met her. Her sexy librarian/secretary look got me instantly hard. _God, I love this woman._

Twenty minutes later we were heading down to my parking garage. "When are your guests arriving?"

"Rob and his wife should by around one. We should be able to make our four o'clock flight."

"Can I meet Rob and his wife then?" Though I wasn't much of a fan, there were a few songs that I did enjoy.

"Yes, you can. You're not going to go 'fan-girl crazy' are you?" She asked, chuckling When I answered with a curt "no," she only laughed harder.

When we made it to the office, I couldn't contain the grin on my face since no one was in yet. I pulled Bella toward my office in a hurried pace, eager to get to my desk. The imagined image of her hair fanned across my desk was one I wanted as a memory. Once I got to the door, Bella pulled away.

"Edward," she said in a warning tone. "You need to get work done and I need to see if the temp fucked up my system." I pouted but she shook her head. "Call me when you are finished." She smiled at me, placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

I huffed in annoyance, deciding that office sex had to be overrated. At least that was what I told myself so that I'd be able to concentrate on work. Thankfully, I had managed to get most of what I wanted accomplished in only twenty minutes.

Well, that wasn't true. It was more like I finished what I could and gave up. The conjured up image of Bella on my desk was forefront in my mind, and I needed to see her. With a quick stab at the intercom button, I waited for her response.

"Yes," she said sweetly. _Oh, I know what game you're playing, Ms. Swan._

"Ms. Swan, I need you in my office now," I said firmly.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen." Her tone matched mine. After a few moments, my door opened and my little vixen strolled in with a little sway of her tantalizing hips. I bit back a groan as I watched her take a seat in chair.

"What can I help you with, Mr. Cullen?" she asked, cocking a perfectly arched eyebrow. She crossed her legs, a smirk firmly in place as I got a view of her panties…or lack thereof.

"Oh God," I groaned, unable to keep the game she played going. "Come here, please." Reluctantly, I pulled my gaze from her lovely legs to see that she wore a smug grin. I glared. I hated it when she won. _Fuck it. When she wins, I do too._

Slowly she uncrossed her legs and stood up. I watched every movement her body made as she stalked around my desk toward me. With every step she took, she opened a button of her top, revealing more of her smooth skin to my hungry eyes.

It wasn't until she swatted my hands away that I was aware I'd reached for her. Beneath the blouse was a tantalizing sinful red bra. This one's new, I thought. She lowered herself on top of me, a knee on each side of my hips. My arousal met the heat of hers, throwing my head back as she ground against me. I looked up, her placement had me eye-fucking-level with her chest. I buried my face between them, causing her giggle.

With my hands on her ass and back, I pulled her closer and covered a nipple with my mouth. She moaned softly, punctuating it with a swivel of her hips. Fingers ran roughly through my hair, a hiss when I pushed her blouse off of her delectable shoulders. Nipping and kissing the straps of her bra, I watched as her shirt fell to the floor. With a push, she sat up on her knees again to unclasp her bra. The fabric went slack, and I helped her remove the offending garment, throwing it somewhere behind us.

Her giggle and smile had me pulling her mouth to mine. Thrust, push and pull. Hip to hip, grinding rhythm, earning a deep guttural groan from me. A tilt of my head granted deeper access inside my mouth. Our hands were everywhere, touching, gripping and holding tightly. Mine were on her ass to guide her movements to feed my urge to be deep inside her.

Expert fingers slid down my chest to my belt, undone in record time to release me. Breathless and a bit desperate, we both started to laugh. "I can't believe we're about to do this,' she said. "Isn't it a bit cliché?"

I smirked against her neck, licking the hollow at her throat. "Are you going to let that stop us?"

She shook her head and moaned when I pinched her nipple. Before I could respond further, I heard something outside the door.

"Edward," a voice that I'd know anywhere called out, Carlisle.

"Did you lock the door?" I looked at Bella, whose eyes are wide with panic and she shook her head.

_Damn it. _"Hide under my desk," I whispered as my door started to open. Bella dove underneath, and I pushed my chair closer to my desk. I tried to pull my zipper up, but Bella stopped me. _She wouldn't._

Moments later, my father head popped in and smiled when he saw me at my desk. "Good morning son. What are you doing here so early?" Carlisle asked his face laced with concern.

That was when I felt her hands stroke my erection. I stifled a groan with a cough, using my hand to cover it up. "I—uh, needed to get a couple of things done before I leave this weekend?" I managed to choke out as Bella licked the tip of my fucking dick.

_Shit .Fuck. She's doing it. Fuck her mouth!_

"Oh, you're heading out of town?" he asked, taking a seat in a chair that Bella sat in earlier. Fuck, my girl was going down on me with my father in the fucking same room. It was hot and very distracting_._

"Ugh, yeah," I gasped as she used her teeth over me. Fuck. "Yeah, I'm taking Bella…to…uh Carmel." I gripped of edge of the desk with one hand and the other on the arm rest of my chair. I felt her hands grip my knees, forcing them farther apart. Then she moved her small hand lower and stroked my balls. Fuck!

"She'd love that, Edward." I nodded in agreement, because if I opened my mouth, I'd fucking cry out Bella's name and curse like a fucking sailor. It took all my strength not to thrust to meet her mouth. "Have you called ahead to make sure the house is fully stocked before you leave?"

"Yes." My answer was strangled at best. Bella had taken one of my balls into her mouth and sucked. Was she trying to kill me? Probably.

"Are you taking the jet?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and a smile.

"Yes," I managed, but just barely. Carlisle rose from his chair, and I was so fucking thankful.

"Well, I'm glad you and Bella are working things out." I nodded as he opened my office door. "Have fun son and you too, Bella." With a wink, he left laughing his ass before closing the door.

She stopped with a pop, and I instantly missed the warmth of her mouth. "Oh God!" she cried out. I pushed away from my desk and she crawled out with a look of mortification. "My bra is hanging from the tree behind you!"

I turned around and sure enough, her bra was hanging from a palm tree. It was my turn to laugh my ass off. I tried to pull her back to me, grinning. "Well that's what you get for doing that with my father in the room," I chastised.

Bella pouted then shrugged her shoulders. "If that's how you feel about it, I'll go," she said firmly, grabbing her bra, blouse. I stopped her and pulled her back to me.

"I loved it, but maybe next time not when someone is in the room. Unless of course, you've changed your mind about a threesome." I grinned, wiggling my eyebrows. She playfully slapped me.

"Well there was this guy at the gym," she teased. "He's fucking gorgeous."

I growled and bit down on her left breast. I sucked long and hard, marking her like the possessive asshole I was. "Mine." When she pulled away, I immediately took hold of her. She explained she only wanted to lock the door.

By the time she'd done that, I had removed my jacket, tie and shirt. She laughed at my enthusiasm, but she stopped short and stood in front of my desk.

"I'm not wearing any panties, remember?" she claimed, placing both of her hands flat on my desk and wiggled her hips. I smirked and made my way to stand behind her. I pulled up skirt, fuck, and such a beautiful sight. Warm, slick skin as I brushed two fingers against her slit.

"So wet," I panted as I bunched up her skirt and gripped her hips to bring them closer to me. I quickly dropped my pants and boxers. "Baby, get on your elbows." I hadn't given her a chance to comply before I slammed in hard and deep. She collapsed on her forearms from the force I used.

"Fuck, Edward," she gasped, gripping the other side of the desk. She pushed and pulled, meeting me thrust for thrust.

I grunted in response. Fuck, I missed her. All of her. "So fucking tight like this, fuck." I groaned as she pushed back harder. I bent over her and took a fistful of hair while I gripped onto her hips with my other hand.

"Yes, fuck yes!" she screamed, panting hard. I pulled a little harder and had her back arched enough to move my free hand under her. Pulling and twisting at her nipples. Our bodies moved perfect rhythm, covered in light sheen of sweat.

"Ugh…Bella…fuck." I gasped, so fucking close. Fuck. I took my hand from her pert nipple, sliding down and discovering her swollen clit. I rubbed against it, hoping she would reach her peak soon. I wasn't going to last too much longer.

She gasped in between thrusts and finally she clutched around me so tightly, I couldn't stop from following her. I prolonged our release with a few more thrusts as our names mingled it the air along with our pants and the scent of sex. I pulled her against me and collapsed with her on my lap on a chair behind me.

My arms wrapped tightly around her small body as we both tried to catch our breath for several minutes. "Do…you think he'll say anything?" Bella asked between breathes.

"No, he's not like Emmett." I kissed her neck behind her ear.

"Mmm…that's a relief," Bella gasped as I used my teeth to graze her skin.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear.

"I love you," she said softly, wiggling her hips.

I stilled her movements before she made me hard again, already at halfway there. "Bella," I warned.

"Sorry." She giggled when I tried to touch her again. I groaned when she jumped off my lap.

"Edward, we have all weekend," she teased.

"I know." I started to pick up my clothes. "I just can't help it when you're naked." I grinned.

"Get dressed, get some work done and then we'll be able to leave." Bella placed a kiss on my jaw, while buttoning up her blouse. Which was a fucking tragedy since her chest was beautiful.

"Are you done already?"

"I'm done. The temp wasn't so bad. She happened to be Margret's sister. I should probably train her since I took Carlisle's offer."

I stilled with my pants only partially on. "What did you say?"

"I took Carlisle's offer, Edward," she said softly. "Last week before all this happened." She looked at me a little sad and apprehensive. "I would've taken it even if we hadn't been on a break." Of course, she would have.

"I understand since the position is practically made for you," I said as I finished dressing. "But you should've told me." She had to have heard the disappointment in my voice, offering her hand. I pulled her closer.

"I know. To be honest, I hadn't thought about it until we arrived here at the office."

I sighed. "I understand Bella."

She gave one of her breathtaking smiles and jumped into my arms. "Thank you for understanding. We can still do lunch." The coy look in her eyes told me that she expects me to deliver daily.

"Lunch time trysts, I think I like the sound of that," I whispered, kissing her soft lips.

"The good thing is that Emmett agreed to change offices with me, so I'll be closer." Bella placed another soft lingering kiss on my lips, swats my ass, and then left my office.

Should I be offended that she chose a job over me? No, because I knew her enough to know that her charity work is important to her, and I was there to support her.

Lunch and copy room trysts sounded better and better the more I thought about it. We managed to make it back to her apartment ninety minutes later. Alice was there waiting with Bella's things.

She approached Bella slowly; her eyes were filled with tears. "Bella," she whispered. Bella sighed and opened her arms wide. Alice threw herself into her arms and started to sob uncontrollably. Together they made their way to the bedroom for some privacy.

I told myself that I don't want to know. As long as they worked it out that it was none of my business. It looked Bella had already forgiven her, so I had nothing to worry about. I knocked on her bedroom door softly.

"Bella, I'm heading to my apartment to get my bag packed. I'll be back in a while."

Bella answered and gave me a small smile. "That's fine, Edward. I'll see you in a bit." With a brief kiss, I left and made my way to my apartment.

There was a secret; a secret that could potentially end our relationship. It was a secret that was gnawing at my sanity. But to preserve my sanity, I also had to forget about it. I knew one day the secret would have to be told, if I wanted to continue my life with Bella.

I wanted the dream. The dream, I saw whenever I closed my eyes. Bella was my wife and the mother of my children. I had to believe that whatever she had to tell me that we'd get through it together. I wasn't ready to let her go, nor would I ever be.

After packing my bag and confirming our flight information, I was back at her apartment. Through her door I could hear the strum of a guitar. I entered without knocking, to find Bella waiting for me.

"Come on," she whispered, taking my hand, leading me into the living room. On the leather chaise was Rob Thomas and his wife. Jasper sat in a chair across from them, strumming on a guitar. Alice sat on the arm of Jasper's chair, acknowledging my presence with a smile.

"Edward, this is Rob and Marisol Thomas." Rob and I shook hands as Marisol stood up gracefully to offer her hand. She reminded me so much of Rosalie except she had dark brown hair that was in a messy ponytail. In that sense, she reminded me of Bella when comfort was more important to her than fashion.

"It's nice to meet you, Edward," Marisol stated, cocking an eyebrow toward Bella. "Bella has told us so much about you. Except about how hot you are."

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Please, don't feed his ego." She laughed when I mocked offense. "Okay you two, so are we in agreement?" Bella asked as she sat in a chair in from of Rob.

"One third of the concert's proceeds with go toward Sidewalk Angels, the rest will go to New Beginnings," Rob indicated, tapping his chin with one of his fingers. "Then the proceeds of the Live CD will be divided and go toward each artist's charity of their choice."

Bella nodded, I looked over to her and looked at her in confusion. "You're doing a Live CD?"

"Yes, Rob said that it would help bring more money in. It's perfect. We'll be offering it on the company website, on New Beginnings website, Rob's website and each of the artists agreed to offer it through their own, too." Bella smiled; her eyes were filled with so much happiness. Oh baby, I missed you so much.

"With word of mouth, you should be able to get the rest of the money for the first few projects of your foundation." I grinned back at her. I was truly in awe of her giving heart and of those willing to help her.

"The good thing is that the concert has already been sold out. I'm not sure how you managed to get the stadium to agree for us to put a concert there." Rob chuckled. "But then again, you have always been a master of persuasion."

"I do what I can. I met up with the owners and they agreed whole-heartily." Bella smiled scrunching her little nose.

"What stadium?" Jasper asked.

"Quest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks," Bella said smugly. "They have a wonderful community outreach program so they're happy to give me a hand."

"So what songs did you want to work with, Rob?" Bella asked, getting up from her chair and pushing me into it. She settled herself on my lap. I grinned and wrapped my arms around her waist. Marisol giggled beside her husband.

"Little Wonders, Street Corner Symphony and we can do Time After Time," Rob suggested.

"You can start with Little Wonders then we can do Time After Time together then we'll put someone or another group up. The last song should be Street Corner Symphony. I think it's perfect."

"Maybe we can get everyone else on stage to help me out," Rob offered.

"That would be unforgettable!" Bella said.

"So Time After Time," Marisol said, looking at Bella. "As a duet?"

"I can just join you during the chorus?" Bella stated like a question.

"Join in when it feels natural," Rob suggested, looking over at Jasper who just nodded. Bella nodded as Jasper started to play. Marisol and Alice started clapping in rhythm to the music. Bella shifted slightly on my lap to face Rob.

"Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick…" Rob started, giving Bella a look of encouragement.

"And think of you," they sang in unison

By the end of the verse Bella had completely floored me. I never knew she could sing. She joined Rob, during certain lines of each verse and they sang the chorus together. The last verse Bella took the lead and Rob followed through.

Jasper finished strumming the last chords. We all sat quietly for a moment before we all starting clapping and giving Bella and Rob words of praise.

"Bella that was beautiful, love," I said, squeezing his waist. "I had no idea you can sing like that."

"I was in choir throughout high school. It's the only activity my big brother didn't over shadow me in," Bella said sheepishly. She averted her eyes from mine and looked over to Rob. "So was that good?"

"It was perfect, Bella. It's an honor to have you join me on the stage."

"The honor and bragging rights are all mine," she quipped, laughing. After that, Bella and Rob spent about an hour practicing.

I looked over at Jasper as he played a quiet tune for Alice, who had nothing but love in her eyes as she lays her head on his shoulder. Does Bella look at me that way? Do I look at her that way?

It was ridiculous to think that in less than two months Bella literally had me wrapped around her little finger. I honestly couldn't imagine my life without her. I would do anything to make sure I didn't have to.

We boarded my company's private jet a little before three thirty in the afternoon. I gave Bella a tour of the company jet. The main passenger area was set up like a living room. There were two large televisions and large roomy comfy cream leather seats. I continued the tour, showing her bathroom and where someone can catch a few winks on a nice full bed. I never had the pleasure of using it. I wanted to rectify that.

"Is there a reason that the bedroom is on the last leg of this tour?" Bella purred in my ear, taking my earlobe in her mouth and sucking gently. My arms wrapped around her body tightly.

"I have no clue to what you may be referring to, love," I teased and bent to press my lips on hers.

"Mile high club? Are you a member?" she cocked an eyebrow and walked back to the main area to take her seat.

"No," I said softly. "You, woman, are a fucking tease." I grabbed her from behind and pressed myself against her backside. I moved her hair off her shoulder and pressed my lips on her neck, she moved a little to give me more access. She closed her eyes to lose herself to the sensations, grinding her ass against me. Then we heard someone clear their throat. I stopped and looked at the offending person.

_Fuck. Bree. Not good_.

"Mr. Cullen, it's so _good_ to see you again," Bree said suggestively, stalking toward Bella and me.

"Bree. I specifically asked for Rachel to accompany the crew for this flight," I said firmly with a touch of warning. I stood protectively in front of Bella, though I wasn't sure whom I was protecting. I was positive that Bella could kick her ass. The problem was I didn't want it to come to that.

Bree was always just a little too clingy, and I always thought she was a few steps from obsession. When my father and I agreed to get a private jet for company and personal trips, we hand-picked our choice of pilots and flight attendants. They would be at our disposal in a day's notice.

Admittedly, I hand-picked the flight attendants mostly based on looks. Okay, all based on looks. My mother picked Rachel a fifty year old grandmother of two. I chose her for this flight to be safe. But now, I was fucked.

I had to admit, I never had joined the mile high club because my father or mother would usually accompany me on business trips. There was never a chance, but once we hit the ground, Bree made the first move after our first flight together.

She had been a distraction, before I went to a big business meeting for my first billion dollar project. She was just my way for me to release any unwanted tension. Like I said before, I was a fucking ass. I took her offer twice before, but at the moment I thought that I was being punished being such a fucking whore before Bella.

I stood in a plane where the door had closed and sealed with my girlfriend and a clingy chick that I fucked at least twice. I honestly couldn't remember, because it wasn't very memorable.

"Rachel had to cancel. Her cute little grandson, Cody, had a bad fall and broke his leg." Bree smiled sweetly. I rolled my eyes at her obvious attempts to step back into my good graces or back into my pants. Bree hated kids; she made that quite obvious when we bumped into kids at the hotel we'd last met at.

"Edward?" Bella said behind me her voice a little tense.

Before I could turn to talk to her, Bree decided to interrupt. "Well, we'll be taking off in a few minutes. Please take your seats," she said quite business like but her glare in Bella's direction told me otherwise.

I returned her glare. "Thank you, Bree. That will be all for now." I watched her go and exhaled loudly.

Bella quickly side stepped me and took a seat in one of the single seats instead of in one of the seats that accommodated two. With her eyes on me, hard and cold, she took out her iPod from her bag. I took a step toward her, but she maxed out the volume of her iPod and held up a heeled-foot against to my chest to stop me. I pushed against it, placing my hands on her ankle.

"Bella, baby, please talk to me," I pleaded as my hands ran down her leg. She shook her head, her eyes still on mine. I heard the door open and Bree walked toward me with a smug smirk. She was clearly pleased with herself. Fuck.

"Mr. Cullen, we'll leave in just a minute. Please take your seat." With a strong push from Bella, I fell into the seat behind me. "Do you need help with your seat belt, Mr. Cullen?" Bree asked, making her way toward me. What the fuck was the crazy bitch doing? Bella would claw her eyes out. I know if the situation was reversed I would.

Thankfully, before I could respond, Bella decided not to be mad at me long enough to send Bree a glare that made her step back. Bella removed her seat belt and leaned over just enough to help me with my seat belt, and then she fucking palmed me, making my eyes roll and had me groan.

"That will be all," Bella said firmly. Bree huffed before turning on her heel and closed the door behind her.

"Bella."

"Shut up, Edward," she said her tone menacing.

"Bella, I asked for –"

"Save it," she growled, turning her attention back to her iPod. The pilot announced that we were leaving. I sighed. What a fucking perfect way to start out the weekend. She remained quiet while during takeoff, and for several minutes afterward. She remained quiet despite my pleas for her to talk to me.

The light overhead indicated it was safe to move about the plane and Bella was out of her seat a second later. She walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, locking it. Fuck. Not a moment later, Bree walked out behind the other door. She made a show to look for Bella, as if she hadn't been watching. I rolled my eyes.

"So Edward, should we meet at our usual place?"

"No," I said firmly.

"Oh, come on Edward, it's obvious your secretary isn't going to give you any now," she teased and lifted her hand to touch me.

I stepped back before I answered her, "First of all, whether I get any or not, it's none of your business. And secondly, she's my girlfriend."

She fucking laughed. "Edward Cullen does not _do_ girlfriends. You _do_ other guy's girlfriends but you do not have girlfriends." She placed her hand on her hip, like she was stating the obvious.

"I do now," I said this time glaring. She was really getting on my fucking nerves.

"Yes, you do," Bella said from behind me. The look on Bree's face was one of obvious jealously as she looked behind me.

I turned around and my jaw dropped. Bella moved to the sofa-like seat and laid back She was in a tiny black bikini with something see-through tied around her waist.

"May I have a bottle of water please?" she asked sweetly. Bree glared at her then turned her attention to me.

"Do you need something, Mr. Cullen?"

"Nope, I'm good," I answered my eyes still glued to Bella's tantalizing body. I barely noticed when Bree left. Bella kept her eyes on mine as I knelt down beside her. "Are you mad at me?" She shook her head, her eyes on mine. She bit her lip and I couldn't help it. "May I kiss you, love?" I whispered my lips, lingering near her ear.

"If you must," she said breathlessly, but it was followed with a satisfied smirk. I ran a trail of wet kisses from her ear to the corner of her mouth, whispering that I loved her and only her.

"I love you," I whispered. Kiss. "Only you, my love," I said, my voice low. Kiss. "Always you." I kissed her cheek. Before I reached her lips we were interrupted again. I groaned as I heard Bree clear her throat behind me. Take a fucking hint, jeez!

"Here you go, Mr. Cullen," Bree said rather firmly, her voice even cracked. I didn't understand why until I looked at Bella. The look she was giving Bree would make anyone want to wither up and die. I shuddered. I hoped I would never earn that look.

"Thank you." Bella smiled sweetly, holding up her hand for Bree to give her the water. Bree scowled but took another few steps to give Bella the bottle of Evian.

"Now if you bother us again without being called," Bella said staring at Bree. "We'll be forced to make an emergency landing." Bree's eyes widened, swallowed and nodded. She was gone in a flash.

"Damn Bella." I chuckled but Bella scowled at me, looking serious again.

"Honestly Edward, is there anywhere in the world that we can go where we won't bump into a past conquest?"

She didn't want me to answer that. "Oh god, don't answer that," Bella gasped. "I just have to get used to it, but is Carmel even fucking safe for us to go? Because I don't need this shit all damn weekend." Bella looked at me. She was waiting for an answer.

Shit, there was Rebecca at my favorite restaurant. Then there was Jessi and Amanda at my favorite club. Oh yeah, there was Kelly and Chelsea at the local burger joint. My lack of answering gave Bella her answer.

"I guess we'll be staying in all weekend." Bella sighed as she closed her eyes and turned up her music. She pushed me away but I refused to leave her side and continued to caress her arm or legs. Anything I could touch. I just needed to know that we were okay.

She started to sing along with the music after several minutes. "_I wanna to drink that shot of whiskey. I wanna smoke that cigarette. I wanna smell that sweet addiction on my breath_." She continued to hum. "_I need you. Like a needle needs a vain_."

I hadn't recognized the song, but I remained by her side, kissing her neck to hopefully entice a response. I felt her arm move and she removed one of the earbuds and put it in my ear.

Her hand caressed my cheek as she looked at me her eyes once again filled with emotion. An emotion she only had for me. A female's voice came through the bud as she sang along, letting the words sink in and linger.

It was her way of letting me know just how much she needed and loved me. "_I wanna get lost in some corner booth, cantina in Mexico. I wanna dance to the static of AM radio. I wanna wrap the moon around us, lay beside you skin on skin_." Her thumb grazed my lip as she stared into my eyes.

The song was her confession – no declaration – that she loved me unconditionally. She needed me like I needed her.

As the song ended, she smiled and pulled me over her. Desperate to feel her, I covered her mouth with mine, shifting my hips against hers. My hands roamed every inch of her exposed torso. I relished in the softness of her creamy silky skin.

"I need you, please," she gasped as I nipped at the swell of one of her breasts. I had to feel how much she needed me, see how ready she was. Fingertips moved over the warm skin around her navel, moving beneath her bikini bottoms. Wet. Hot. Slick. I slipped two fingers inside her, groaning and shifting my cock against her thigh.

Her back arched, her hips moving toward my hand. Silently asking for more, and I do, adding another finger. In. Out. In. Out. Deep. Moan. A brush of my thumb across her clit elicited a breathy gasp from her lips. Fingers tightened in my hair, pulling my lips to hers, moaning with every move of my fingers. Curled fingers find the something deep inside her, her body stilled for a moment then she trembled in my arms. My eyes were on hers as I brought my fingers to my mouth to taste her.

"Are you ready to become a member?" she asked coyly.

"Fuck yes."

I scooped her up in my arms and made my way to the bedroom toward the rear of the plane. Hands everywhere. Clothes tossed in every direction. Our laughter was rich and thick in the air. I wanted her desperately.

"Bella, "I said huskily. "Fuck, I need to be inside you." My words are grunts, groans and breathless, her hands on me. Touching and stroking me with precision and perfection.

"Did you take your vitamins this morning?" Bella teased. I growled, nipping at her neck, earning a little yelp. "No, how about eat your Fuck-Me-Flakes?" She continued to goad me.

That one earned a smack to her ass and toss on her bed. She only giggled in return. I glared at her and pounced, grabbing her wrists and held them above her. My lips descended her tasty pink nipples as she wiggled under me.

"Bella," I warned her.

"You did bring your Extenze for the weekend, didn't you?" Bella asked, smirking.

"You know I don't need any of that fucking shit," I snapped, savagely taking her lips. Thrusts, exploration and moans with lips and tongues.

"How do I know?" she asked against my lips when I finally pulled back to breathe.

"Baby, one look at you and I'm hard for hours," I said honestly and I nipped at her lips again. As I took hold of her bottom lip, I felt her hand on me. Her fingertip brushed over the head of my cock, teasing. I groaned and thrust inside her.

Gasps and groans. Over and over I thrust myself deep inside her. She screamed my name in a chant as her hands tugged on my hair. Left, right her head shook as desire coursed through us. With determination in her eyes, she pushed against my chest. I looked at her confused.

"Kneel," she gasped. I complied, excited for what laid ahead. "Grab a pillow, fold it and put it under the middle of my back." I completed her instructions; the pillowed caused her hips to be higher in the air.

Then she placed each of her legs over each of my shoulders. Fuck. "Now give it to me, baby," she purred with a naughty wink and wiggle of her hips. She arched her back off the bed to put most of her weight on her shoulders and upper back. The angle, the leverage was fucking awesome. There she laid out before me, tits in the air, imprinting the sight of her in my mind forever.

I pounded into her with everything I had. She screamed with each thrust and I grunted with the depth I was achieving. I experimented by grabbing her legs to help give me more leverage or leaning closer to fold her legs against her chest. Each one enticed more moans and grunts from each other.

Fuck, my baby was flexible, bendable and a screamer.

We were covered in sweat and gasped for our release. Bella moved her fingers over her clit as the others pinched one of her nipples. "Harder, Bella," I gasped, watching her ministrations. She smirked and licked her lips. The hand on her breast traveled farther south and around her hip until she found what she was looking for. My fucking balls.

"Fuck!" I gasped, throwing my head back. "Bellllla!"

"Come with me," she said breathlessly. That was all it took. I felt her clench around me just as I started to twitch inside her. I buried my head against her neck, groaning from my release. Fuck. When I realized Bella's uncomfortable position, I removed the pillow from under her and pulled her on top of me.

After we managed to catch our breath we both started to laugh. "What the hell was that?" I asked, kissing her hair.

"That was the master teaching her Padawan a thing or two." She giggled.

"And here I thought I was going to teach you something," I grumbled. Hey I knew what I was doing in bed.

"Ah, but have you reached Jedi level?" Bella looked at me seriously. "I'm serious. You never really managed to stay long enough with anyone, so you never really explored all aspects of sex. Most women don't bring a guy back to their apartment and go into more of their darkest desires."

"Darkest desires?" I repeated, turning our bodies so that we'd face each other.

"Have you ever submitted?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Have you ever dominated another?"

"I've never submitted to anyone except for the time where you had me finger you under the table." I shrugged my shoulders.

"So you've never been tied up and blindfolded?" Bella looked at me in disbelief.

"I never knew or trusted a woman long enough for her to tie me up. I was asked many times but I said no each time. I carry a lot of cash I wasn't about to allow them that and have them take off with everything I had on me."

"And you haven't ever tied up anyone else either?"

I shook my head. Trust had to go both ways. I hadn't trusted the women I fucked enough to allow them to tie me up so in turn they hadn't trusted me.

"Well, then it's going to be an interesting weekend?" Bella smirked as her hand slid down my torso. I fucking shuddered, interesting indeed.

* * *

**_Song title and artist: I Need You by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw_**


	21. Triste

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-One – Triste**

* * *

Bella refused to tell me what our weekend would entail, but that she'd have to improvise since she hadn't brought any of her toys with her.

"I've never seen any of your toys," I grumbled. What the fuck? I was her boyfriend and that should entitle me to a view of this collection.

"I wasn't sure if you're ready for that yet." She shrugged and draped a leg over my hip, pulling me closer. I was lying on my side facing her, entranced with her pretty pink nipples. My thumb gently teasing a peak until it hardened.

"What does that mean?" I looked at her in question.

"Well, like you said to even attempt something like bondage, you really need to be able to trust that person."

"So before you didn't trust me?" The thought that she hadn't trusted me hurt a little.

"I trusted you, eventually."

"So what stopped you after you trusted me?"

"Well I wasn't sure if you trusted me?"

"Of course I trust you. You haven't done anything for me not to trust you, love," I said playing with a curl of her long hair.

"I don't deserve your trust," she whispered, hiding her face against my chest, her arms tightening around me. I understood why she felt that way, because there was something she still needed to tell me. "Edward, I think that we –"

"No, Bella. Not yet, please." It was a plea as I took her face in my hands to look in her eyes.

"Edward, but…" she argued, but there must have been something in my eyes that caused her to stop. "Please remember I wanted to tell you."

"I won't forget." I placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"We have a little while before we land," she said as her fingernail circled my nipple.

"Is there anymore positions you'd like to try in the friendly sky?"

We both thought for a moment. "Tongs!" We laughed for a few moments. I wrapped my arms around her to pull her over me. "Tongs it is, love," I whispered as I nipped at her bottom lip.

"Mmm, I love you," Bella whispered. Exploring fingers along my abdomen made their way down. I groaned as she took a firm hold of me. I thrust my hips a few times, unable to resist as tension built. Her grip tightened, causing me to groan deeply. She laughed as I grazed my stubble laden jaw along her neck, but I put that to a stop when I bit her neck.

"Ugh, Edward," she gasped. Her fingers fell away from my cock to pull my lips back to her eager mouth. We both moaned, grinding our hips against each other. Then there was knock on the door. Bella stiffened on top of me and she sat up straighter on my abdomen.

"Oh, hell no." She jumped off of me and grabbed my t-shirt, throwing it on. She turned toward me, glaring. "Stay under that sheet or else," she snarled at me. She opened the door but just a bit. "Yes." Tight jaw, clenched teeth. Fuck she was pissed.

"I'm a…sorry to bother you, but you have an emergency call, a Karen White."

"Shit, give it here." Bella closed the door with a black cordless phone in her hand. "Karen?" She looked worried. I cocked an eyebrow in question, but she shook her head. Who the fuck was Karen again? "Couldn't this wait until I returned Monday night?" I tried not to overhear, but she looked nervous. "I understand, that is good news." Bella walked over to her bag, pulling out her Blackberry.

"I won't be able to go next week. The week after that, I have several meetings and have to put the finishing touches for the concert. In December I can give you two days before the gala. Yes. All right. New York, December twelfth and thirteenth, sounds good. I'll see you then Karen. Thank you."

Bella pressed a button on the phone then jumped up and down. "I sold my first novel!" She threw her arms in the air and shook her hips, an enticing image. I laughed and grabbed her, pulling her on the bed.

"First novel? I thought you already had three books out?" I pulled my shirt of her body.

"I do…," she gasped as I roll her nipple between my fingers. "But they all pertain to sex and how to books. This was a _novel_ with my name on it, not my pen name."

"What's your pen name?" I asked her, and then I took an erect nipple in my mouth. Fuck, she always tasted so good.

"Oh God…stop teasing me. It's time to celebrate," she gasped in between breaths.

"Celebratory tongs?" I suggested, grinding my erection against her thigh.

"Fuck, yes," she said and she tugged my hair to pull my mouth on hers. _Air Tongs: The only way to fly._

~oOo~

When we pulled into the driveway of my vacation home, the sun was about to set. Bella turned to give me a breathing taking smile, jumping out of the car, running toward the beach. Her heeled sandals tossed behind her. I followed her and watched her silhouetted body against the bright canvas of the horizon.

The view was inspiring. Her hair and skirt flowed around her in the wind. The look on her face was of pure elation, joy, and contentment. She looked happy, and I was the one that made her happy. She was the only one that had made me happy in such a long time. My life.

I wrapped my arms around her from behind. She sighed and relaxed against me.

"It's so beautiful, Edward," she whispered, watching the sun disappear.

"It's okay, but you are much more breathtaking," I stated, kissing her shoulder. She shivered. "Are you cold?" I asked and rubbed my hands over her arms.

She laughed. "No, Edward, it's just the effect you have on me."

I laughed. "Hmm, so I have an effect on you?" I could almost hear her eyes roll.

"Like you don't know you dazzle me."

"I dazzle you?" I teased.

"All the time."

"It doesn't seem like it," I said a bit more serious.

"Why, because I don't drop my panties every time you smile?"

I chuckled. "Something like that."

She turned to face me and took my face. "Trust me, I'm a good actress. I know how to pretend you don't dazzle me."

"Why would you have to pretend?" I asked confused at her confession.

"Well, if I didn't, I'd jump you in the car, in the hall way, in the office, or in a middle of a crowded restaurant. You, mister, tease me every time you look at me," she admitted in a serious tone.

"Well shit if I would've known, I would've continued to tease you."

"Exactly," Bella whispered, kissing me on my lips.

"Well you know what you do to me. I fucking can't keep my hands off of you," I growled, grinding my growing erection against her hip. I proved my point, palming her ass.

"Behave. It'd be nice if you can give me a tour of your house first."

"Fine," I grumbled, swatting her ass. "Cock tease."

Bella walked toward our rental car to retrieve our bags. "You haven't seen anything yet."

I groaned and ran up to her, throwing her over my shoulder, popping the trunk open with the key alarm. I grabbed our two bags and closed the truck. Bella was remarkably quiet. "Bella?"

"What?" she growled.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, I like having all the blood rushing to my head," she said in a sweet voice, but it was a bit strained.

Well, that sweet voice told me I was in for it. I shuddered a little and moved to the front door of my two story beach house. It was painted in a light brown with white trim. Most of the top floor consisted of windows. The master bedroom was situated on the top floor. The whole room allowed for a perfect view of the ocean. The private bathroom held a large Jacuzzi tub and a two-person shower, with its own spectacular view.

It was the first time I had brought someone here with me. I often used it to just get away from everything. Though I used to frequent the local hotspots, I never brought any of those women here. I was happy that I had chosen to do that. I never wanted to share this place with anyone, until Bella. I placed her on feet once I opened the door. She pushed me aside and grabbed her bag. "Bella?"

"Go upstairs, strip, shower, get on the bed and wait for me," she growled, heading to toward one of the bedrooms.

"Bella," I said. She turned and grabbed me by the fucking balls.

"Mistress, do you understand?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow and smirked. I gulped and nodded. "Answer me?" she asked her voice low and so fucking hot.

I dropped my head down and replied, "Yes, Mistress."

"Good. Run along now." I turned and she swatted my ass, and then turned toward another bedroom. Once she was inside, I grabbed my bag and sprinted upstairs. I was beyond excited for what was about to happen and a little nervous. I never let myself be at the mercy of another, much less a woman.

I was thankful that I called ahead to have the house readied for our arrival. Since I was gone most of the time, the water heater was turned off. I would hate for Bella to take a cold shower. And I was a little scared of what her reaction could be.

I stripped and threw my clothes in the hamper. I stepped in the hot shower and rinsed the sticky perspiration from my body, already fucking hard. For a moment, I thought about relieving myself, but where was the fun in that. I shivered, remembering why I was so sticky. Flying high had never been so fucking fun before.

What a great weekend so far. We already made love twice, but then again I'd have count the office encounter, too. I wanted to see if could break my record from our first weekend together at the falls.

I toweled off about six minutes later, in a rush to get the rest of the weekend started. To be honest I really wanted to find out what Bella had in store for me. The bed was neat and tidy, cackling I removed some pillows and comforter. Not wanting to ruin the mood, I opened the curtains to the night sky with full moon. The sound of the waves crashing into the rocks nearby was so peaceful.

I sighed in contentment. A few moments later, I heard the distinct sound of heels clicking on the stairs. Shit. I jumped on the bed just before the bedroom door opened. I lay still on the bed, naked and so fucking ready for Bella.

"Beautiful," I heard her whisper. Need and desire had me fighting the instinct to turn toward her voice. However, I thought it wouldn't be wise, because Bella was in charge.

"From now on you talk only when I allow you to," she murmured seductively. God, had she any idea what her voice did to me? "You will call me Mistress. You will come only when I allow you to. You will do as I say and if you don't comply, there will be consequences. Nod if you understand."

I nodded, my breathing already heavy. I was fucking panting and she hadn't even touched me yet.

"Your safe word is 'red.' Use it if at any time you wish for me to stop everything. If you choose to continue say 'green' and I will continue. If you want me to continue with caution say 'yellow.' Nod if you understand." I nodded and I felt her neat the foot of the bed. My heart rate doubled the closer she was.

"Normally, I would punish you with a crop but I don't have one. Your belts are too thick and would cause more pain than pleasure. So I'll be using a swift hand. Let's hope I don't have to use it." I felt her hands on my left ankle, surprised by her sudden touch, I moved away from her. That was when I felt that swift hand come across the inside of my thigh.

Fuck. It hurt but the sting sent a pleasurable shiver up my body, causing my dick to twitch.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, taking my ankle and tying something around it. I felt her pull my leg further down the bed and I allowed her to. I felt my foot brush against the bed post, and I knew it was her way to let me know what she was doing.

I shook my head, my eyes finally on hers. She smiled and tied my ankle. I kept as still as possible as she worked to do the same with the other. Soft, warm fingers traveled up my arm where she took my hand and kissed my palm. With a sexy smile she tied it to the bed post with a stocking. She worked the other in the same manner.

She hadn't punished me for looking at her, so I let my eyes roam across her body. She was clad in a black satin and lace corset that left very little to the imagination. Her full breasts were pushed together and almost spilling out of the top. Tiny matching panties, a charcoal garter belt, finishing the ensemble were black stilettos.

"Like what you see?" she asked, smirking.

"Fuck yes," I said, without fucking thinking. Her hands slapped my left nipple. "Fuck!" She looked at me and struck me again.

"I didn't say you could talk. For that you deserve this." She pulled out a fucking scarf and straddled my abdomen. I groaned and this time my right nipple felt the sting. Shit.

"Don't vocalize." There was that smirk again. I thought that she was enjoyed it a little too much. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep me from growling at her. She knew it, too. She tied the scarf around my eyes, slipping my vision into complete darkness.

"Mmm, I rather like it seeing you like this," she whispered in my ear. "All spread out for my pleasure."

Fuck, I shivered; my body trembling with anticipation and need. I felt her move off me and the bed. I stifled a groan, missing the contact of her warm body on mine.

Something soft touched me above the bonds around my right ankle. It wasn't a fingertip, but something softer or lighter, possibly a feather. The feather traveled from my ankle up my thigh in a slow, barely there caress. I wanted to squirm beneath the touch. I wasn't ticklish but my senses had been heightened without my vision. The feather traveled across my hip and down my other leg before making another trip higher. The feather's circuit went along the dips of my hips, causing me to buck.

Her swift hand hit me on the inside of my thigh. I groaned in pleasure and pain, causing her to follow with another two slaps in the same area.

"Red!" Fuck. Shit. That stung. She stilled, allowing me time to relax. "Yellow," I whispered.

She rubbed the warmed area with her fingers and placed wet kisses over it. I want to groan aloud again. Her fucking mouth was so close to where I wanted it to be. My cock was sorely neglected, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. She continued the feathery torture and circled each of my nipples. The feeling was amazing, sending more pleasurable sensations through my body. I sighed when I felt the feather brush over my lips.

"Now I'm going to do that again, but with my tongue," she whispered against my lips. I bit back a moan. The feather descended on my cock, along the sensitive head and veins before she discarded it. God, I needed to vocalize or I'd fucking burst.

She shifted over my body and I felt her tongue against my ankle, slowly making her way up my calf. She nipped at my knee and on the inside of my thigh. "You may speak if you wish," she murmured.

I groaned and gasped at the same time. Her tongue swirled and sucked a small patch of skin near the base of my cock. I wanted her mouth on me. Soft, plump lips teased my hips and teeth grazed the sensitive area again. I whimpered and fucking moaned like a love sick fool.

She continued her tongue-fucking-exploration down my other leg, driving me insane with need and want. Bella straddled me and sucked on my nipples, bypassing my poor cock. I thrashed against my restraints and she bit my left pectoral muscle hard. I cursed but managed not to safe word. Something warm and wet was on my torso. Fuck it was her arousal. To know that her new form of torture aroused her so much had me begging.

"Mistress," I gasped as she gently sucked on my neck.

"Yes?" she asked, ascending to my jaw. I groaned when she took my ear in her mouth.

"I… need you."

"What do you need, my love?" She asked huskily in my ear.

"I need to be inside you." I bucked my hips as her lips covered mine. Her tongue pushed into my mouth. I moaned in her mouth, letting her sweet, soft tongue caress my own.

When she pulled away I growled in frustration. "Relax, love," she said firmly. "I haven't finished with my exploring."

In a mere moment, she went from straddling my abdomen to sitting between my legs. Her hot little tongue nipped and licked the sides of my length, sucking off the cum that accumulated on my tip. I moaned in pleasure, and I couldn't help but buck my hips.

She slapped my thigh again. I hissed in pleasure and pain as she finally took my cock in her mouth. The sensations were fucking overwhelming. I felt everything. I felt the way her tongue pressed against the vain, they way her teeth grazed against my overly sensitive skin.

Her hands massaged my thighs. One of her hands wrapped around the base of my cock and the other cupped my balls.

"Fuck!" I growled, trying to keep still. I never wanted her to stop. The thread in my gut tightened, I was so fucking close. She realized it too, because the next moment her mouth was gone.

"Not yet," she said. She lifted my hips, grabbing my ass hard, digging her nails into my flesh. I growled but didn't use the safe words. My body shook with need, but I managed to remain still. "Very good." Her whispered words were in my ear. "I think that deserves a reward. What would you like?"

"To come, Mistress," I moaned as she shifted her pussy over me.

"Except that," she teased, nipping at one of my sensitive nipples.

"Fuck!" I growled against my better judgment. Three quick successions of slaps stung at my chest. I found my voice, "I want to be inside you!"

"Mmm, I concur," she cooed. Warmth engulfed the tip of my erection. I moaned and begged. She slammed down, causing us to both moan. God, she felt fucking amazing!

A string of profanities left my lips over and over again as she rode me hard. Her nails scratched at my chest, her teeth nibbled on my flesh, and hips rolled against me. The sting from my sweat met my raw skin, making me shudder.

Hips to hips, I started to thrust up to meet her. Muscles clenched around me, and I wondered if she was close. Then she unclenched and then clenched me again. What the fuck?

She continued doing it several times, causing me to groan and hiss. I wanted to fucking grab her and pound into her. I pulled at my restraints again, and then she was gone.

"Bella!" I snapped, thrashing my hips and head on the bed. She slapped my thigh again.

"It's Mistress!" She took a hold of my face, slapping my cheek. It wasn't hard but enough to get the point across.

"Please," I gasped, stilling my aching body. She sighed and kissed my cheek and the corner of my mouth. I felt her move over me, taking me inside her in reverse Damn, she felt fucking perfect, bouncing and rolling above me.

A war raged within me. I wanted her to continue her little scene but at the same time I wanted to take over. Her little moans and whimpers drove me closer to that need. I tested the restraints around my hands and noticed one give. Since her position had her back toward me, she wasn't aware of what I was doing. I pulled at it again, groaning when she swirled her hips. Fuck me. She was going to give me a heart attack.

The final time I pulled, it came loose from the post. In a flash and removed my blindfold, nearly busted a nut at the sight before me. Her beautiful body over me, the expanse of her back as her muscles moved with her. Hair hung and swayed against her pale skin. I needed to touch her with my hands, but not before I freed myself.

Once I was free, I knew I had to move fast if I wanted to restrain her. I sat up and wrapped my arms around her waist, pinning her arms. She gasped and stilled her movements.

"It's my turn, love." I growled in her ear. An elbow met my gut as she struggled against me. I grunted and released her. With a lethal glare in my direction, she sprinted out of the room.

It took me a few seconds to release my feet before I could run after her. I met her on the second landing on the staircase. Without giving her time to get away, I slammed her body against the wall. I caged her wrists in one of my own and held it over her head.

Out of breath, slick with sweat, flushed with desire, she met my gaze head on. Licking her lips, she teased, "So what, we're moving from bondage to rough sex, champ?" Threatening teeth snapped an inch from my lips.

I ground my hips against hers, eliciting mutual groans. "Fuck yes!"

"Well then, I'm not sorry about this," she said then kicked my knee out. She took two stairs at a time, running into the living room. I grunted and pulled myself up from the stairs.

I jumped down the last few steps and scanned the room. Sitting in a chair across from me, her legs were spread open, giving me an excellent view of sex. I stalked toward her unsure of what would come next, a factor that added excitement. A few strides before I reached her, she rose up and took a stance.

Oh, she wanted to spar. I was game_._ We both bowed after I took my position. All it took was a second of my eyes elsewhere before my ass was on the floor again. I grunted as my eyes flew to hers. She was all the way across the room.

"Afraid?" I asked, noticing the distance she put between us.

With a growl and a lethal glare, she circled me a few times. In a flurry of maneuvers her shoulder hit my chest, sending us both sprawling onto the couch. I wrapped my arms around her, rolling off the couch and onto the floor. We struggled for the top position.

When I finally straddled her, I took her hands in one of mine, pulling them over her head. "Stay the fuck still, Bella," I growled.

She bucked her hips against mine, and despite my hold on her, she managed to throw me off of her body with the strength in her legs. I turned to find her on all fours to try and crawl away.

I wrapped my arms around her from behind, pulling her into a kneeling position. "Spread your knees out." I commanded and bit at her neck. Our breathing was harsh, our bodies in need, when she finally surrendered with a sigh.

The second she complied with my command, I thrust inside her.

"Fuck!" We both yelled in unison.

Bella's head rested against my shoulder, as one of her hands tugged on my hair. Lips, tongue and teeth met in a heady kiss. My hands over her hips, torso and cupped her swollen breasts. Erect nipples under the palms of my hands, pinching and pulling with my fingers.

Our bodies were slick with sweat, seeking release. With a thrust of my hips and a push from hers, so close to our end. We panted, grunted and cursed from our pleasure. She turned her head again, allowing me access to her pretty mouth. I sucked on her tongue, groaning as her walls tightened around me.

"Edward!" she screamed. Her body trembling as she rode out her orgasm. I continued to move inside her, prolonging it for her. The thread inside me coiled then sprung right before it snapped.

We both collapsed on the floor, my knees raw from the rug we were on. Her head rested on my chest, trying to catch her breath.

"Was that too much?" she asked, placing a kiss on a bite she gave me earlier on my chest.

"No, was it for you?" I said in between breaths.

"Hell no." She chuckled. "I'm signing us up for naked sparring Tuesday." I groaned, wrapping my arms and legs around her. I nuzzled my nose in her neck.

"Mmm…sounds like fun." I whispered. We remained there for a while, lightly pressing our lips together and tender touches here and there.

"What now?" Bella whispered.

"How about you and I make dinner?"

"Naked?" Bella asked laughing softly.

"Of course." An hour later after a wonderful cooking lesson and encounter on the counter, we had dinner of seafood pasta on the balcony. The dining area windows doubled as doors, opening to a breathtaking view of the ocean under the stars.

Bella sat on my lap as we ate in comfortable silence. We listened to the waves as they rolled toward the shore. A light breeze blew the reeds of a Teak wind chime that hung nearby.

"I love you," I whispered, letting the wind carry the declaration with it.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing me softly. "So much it hurts to be away from you." The latter said reluctantly. "Tell me how you did it, Edward." She sighed. "You looked fine when we were apart." She shook her head. "While I looked like hell."

I tightened my arms around her. "I knew how I felt about you. That I still loved you. I thought I was doing the right thing. Maybe I lived off the pain, too. As long as it hurt, I knew you were okay, and I pushed through." I kissed the top of her head. "Does that make sense?"

"Yes, I lived like that the whole time. I knew that I loved you. I knew that you loved me. As I said before, I was confident you'd see reason. But the damn nightmares, I couldn't sleep the whole time."

I pulled her closer. "I'm so sorry, my love. I never wanted to hurt you like that. You can tell me about them."

"The first night after you left, I fought so hard against my heavy eyelids. I fell asleep eventually. That night I dreamt of when Brianna died. For some reason you were there. Instead of helping me –" she gasped, burying her face in my robe. I felt her tears. "You walked away."

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," I cried out, pulling her face so I could look into her eyes. "I will never do that to you again."

She looked away and whispered, "You will."

"No." I grabbed her face, forcing her to look at me again. "I will never leave you again." I hoped my eyes could tell her what my words couldn't say. She nodded minutely and pressed her soft lips against mine.

I took her face in my hands and stroked her cheeks with my thumbs, relishing in the tender touch of our lips. Bella sighed in my mouth and shifted to straddle my lap.

"Edward, please," she whispered softly. Her hands pulled my robe open as I did hers. Skin on warm skin. Hands and lips, a shift of body and I was inside her. We both groaned and felt utterly complete. We moved slowly and with purpose.

Our eyes and lips conveyed everything without words. Her soft whimpers and mewls were music to my ears. My hands wandered from her face to her chest and hips. A hand on the small of her back pressed her closer to me. She gasped for breath, breaking our kiss. My lips explored the hollow of her neck, her sweet collarbones, and then descended on the pebbled pink flesh of her nipples.

Neither of sought out our release; there was no rush. We just needed to be. No urgency to our love making was needed. Time seemed irrelevant while were locked in that type of intimacy. It felt like hours but at the same time, not long enough. We came together with whispered promises on our lips.

~oOo~

I awoke in the middle of the night from a strange sound outside and decided to investigate. Bella was asleep, curled up in the blankets and pillows we had piled near the fireplace earlier. I rolled her warm body gently, so not to wake her.

The culprit was a black and white kitten going through the trash. I shook my head, contemplating to scare it away. Instead I approached it slowly, holding out my hand.

I made little noises in the hopes to have the kitten come to me. Curiosity brought the kitten closer and it sniffed my fingers for several moments. My other hand caressed its soft fur from the top of its head and down its back. The kitten started to purr and allowed me to carry him.

I walked into the kitchen and turned on a light. The kitten was hungry so I started to search for something for it to eat. I heard Bella as she walked into the kitchen "Edward?"

I turned and smiled at her. "I found someone going through the trash outside."

She smiled and took the fur ball from me. "Let me see." She held it up for inspection. "It's a she and has a collar." She read the tiny tag. "Her name is Moo-moo."

"How do you know this?" I motioned at the kitten as she stroked her back a few times.

"I used to volunteer at a local animal shelter back home and –"

"And your mom used to bring home strays," I said, remembering one of our conversations.

"My guess is that she's from somewhere nearby so we'll have to check tomorrow. But as for something to eat, umm –"

"Milk?" I suggested. Bella shook her head, muttering something about a possible mess. I chose not to disagree with her.

"Ah, sliced turkey should be fine." She passed Moo-moo to me while she cut the deli meat into small bite size pieces. Once she plated the food and some water, Moo-moo went straight to the food. "She's going to make a mess in here. We'll have to find something for to sleep in and put her in the garage." She sighed as she watched the kitten eat.

"What is it, love?" I asked, pulling her toward me.

"This reminded me of some similar circumstances with my mother. There were plenty of late night visitors, most of them kittens. I just miss her."

I kissed the top of her head, tightening my arms around her. Moo-moo meowed and brushed her fur against my legs.

A few minutes later in the garage, that was thankfully insulated and warm, we managed to find a box. We placed the purring kitten inside the towel-lined box. She was asleep with minutes.

Once inside, Bella made her way upstairs. "I'm all sticky again. I'm hopping in the shower." Her robe fell to the floor behind her.

I followed her inside the shower. I wrapped my arms around her waist and helped her find the right water adjustments. She took one of the showerheads and aimed it at my face. She laughed at my shocked expression.

With the other showerhead in my hand, I turned the dial to deep massage and pointed it at her nipple. Bella gasped in surprise and turned to avoid my assault.

I had her right where I wanted her. I pressed my body against her, pinning her against the tile. She hissed as her breasts hit the cold, hard tiles. She dropped the showerhead she had and ground her ass against me.

"Bella, you're not playing fair again," I gasped in her ear.

"You didn't let me finish my game earlier so it's only fair that I tease you all I want," she said, continuing her to ground her ass against me.

"Hmm, I rather liked how we ended it," I purred.

"Fuck, Edward," she gasped as I slapped her ass. She trembled and I could see I had gone too far.

"Damn it, Edward! Spanking me when my ass is wet is fucking painful!" I backed off and she turned to face me, rubbing the mark I made on her.

"Well hitting me near my groin fucking hurt, too," I countered.

"But your thigh wasn't wet!" She glared at me and then her hand met my backside.

"Fuck, Bella!" Holy shit! That fucking hurts! I already felt the welt forming. She started to laugh, doubling over in her obvious enjoyment of my discomfort. "What the fuck is so funny?" I growled.

After a moment, she answered, "You look so funny grabbing your ass like that!" She continued to laugh, so all I could do was glare at her. She stopped when she saw how serious I was. Then we both started laughing.

When we pulled ourselves together, I helped wash her hair. "So what do you plan on our next little sex adventure, love?"

"Hmm, well besides going at it the gym," Bella whispered. I fucking twitched at the thought of the all those mirrors. _So hot!_ "How about somewhere public?"

I fucking twitched again. "Public?"

"Come on, you must have done it somewhere public before?" She looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Stairway, bathroom and an alley," I answered honestly.

"Elevator, dressing room and a roller coaster ride," she said. My eyes widened. What the fuck? "Don't be so shocked."

"How and the hell do you do it on a roller coaster?" I asked in total disbelief. Bella smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Never mind. I don't want to know." The last thing I needed was to picture her with someone else. _Ugh._

I was brought of my thoughts when Bella took hold of my erection. "Bella," I groaned as she stroked me long and hard.

We spent the rest of our Friday night in various positions and we pretty much remained naked the whole time. We were _so_ going to blow way our record. The next morning came and went, spent in bed. Around noon we finally managed to get up and stretch.

Holy fuck, I was sore in all the right places. We shared a communal shower much to her pleasure. After changing into clothes fit for the beach, we made a simple lunch and headed out with the kitten.

We fed Moo-moo some more deli meat and we found that she was a well-trained kitten. There were four houses that shared the beach and as far as I could remember most of the houses were vacation homes. We both agreed to take Moo-moo and check with each house.

The first two homes were nestled a little higher than my own were a miss. No one was even home and it had seemed as if it'd been a while since anyone had been there. The third home, there was a cleaning crew there. They were the same couple that took care of my home.

"Well hello, Edward," Nathan said, holding out his hand.

"Hello, Nathan." I took his hand and cocked my head toward his wife Ruby. "The house looks great. Are the Jones in this week?"

"Nah, they aren't coming up until next week. It was a surprise to hear from you. You haven't visited your parent's house in a long time," he said, concern laced in his tone and eyes.

I shook my head, because it had been a while. And the last time, I felt like I had disappointed my parents after coming from a nearby club. That last night, I slept with not one woman but three, thought not at the same time. I hadn't even known their names. I hadn't taken the time to find out.

I wasn't even aware why I had been such an asshole that day until I realized that it was the anniversary of my parent's death. Maybe it was my way of forgetting.

"Nathan, this is my girlfriend Bella," I said, smiling down at her. She held out her small hand, which Nathan kissed. Sly fucker.

Nathan and his wife and Ruby have been caretakers for the four homes on the same beach. They'd been with the house since before my parents had bought it. Ruby came out of the Jones' home and rushed to my side. Her long dark hair was piled in a messy bun with hints of gray at her temples.

She took me in her arms and complained that I was too skinny. She spoke in a rush, and I couldn't get a word in. It was when she saw Bella standing beside me, that she gave me a sly smile.

"Who might this be, Eduardo?" I cringed. Spanish was Ruby's native tongue and she loved to call me that. I didn't mind since I'd known her for most of my life.

"This is my girlfriend Bella," I said with a smile. Ruby looked at me then at Bella. She took Bella's face in her hands and looked straight into her eyes.

Ruby whispered in Spanish, calling Bella a beautiful princess and asking her why she was so sad. Bella's eyes softened and closed for a second before she answered in Spanish.

Her answer was a lament. Her soft cry caused my heart to clench in pain. She answer, telling Ruby that I had her heart and without me she wouldn't be able to live.

"Bella," I whispered, squeezing her hand. No matter what I did she believed I'd leave her. I couldn't help her unless we were honest with each other. The Secret would have to have to be told.

Shortly afterward Nathan and Ruby told us to check the other house where new owners had moved in recently. Bella knocked on the door and we could hear someone running inside. That someone squealed when she saw us at the door.

It was none other than little Becky. "Ms. Bella and Edward," she cried out and wrapped her arms around my leg. "You found my kitty!"

Bella laughed as she knelt down. "This is a small world." Becky launched herself into Bella's arms.

"Yes, I found Moo-moo down the street, sweetheart," I said, chuckling softly as Bella face flushed from the amount of pressure Becky had around her neck.

"Careful now Becky, we wouldn't want to hurt Moo-moo." Bella gasped as the little girl loosened her grip.

"Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan, wow." Becky's mom came to the door, drying her hands with a dishtowel.

We talked with Becky and her mother for a while. Her father and brother were out on their first try at deep sea fishing tip. I groaned, I remembered my first deep sea excursion. I spent it hanging over the railing, despite my use of drugs.

Before leaving, Becky pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, "What did I tell you?"

I laughed. "I think it was something like 'you'll see'."

"Are you going to ask her now?"

"Soon," I answered honestly. Because I knew I wouldn't settle for anything less than Bella as my wife.

We left a few minutes later and Bella and I walked back to the beach house hand in hand. "Would you like to go somewhere, love?"

"Are there any tide pools nearby or maybe some hiking?"

"There's Big Sur, Point Lobos and there are some tide pools nearby, too."

"If we're going to make an outing then we should probably grab some more clothes and gear."

I nodded in agreement. It was after one-thirty when we left the house in the rental car. Bella was in a pair of blue Bermuda shorts with a white eyelet sleeveless blouse. Her hair was in a pony tail in a pair of white canvas shoes. I dressed in a pair of dark jeans and decided on trainers since boots would be too heavy for mostly flat county walking. I found a gray t-shirt and threw it on over my wife beater.

We both packed another set of clothes, bathing suits, towels and jackets. We hit the tide pools first. I watched as Bella kicked off her shoes and waded in the water. She would on occasion, squat down to explore a tide pool. I was surprised to find that she didn't mind touching any of the marine life. She was held a star fish in her fingers for a minute when I snuck up beside her and put a crab in her shirt.

She hopped around and finally managed to carefully remove the creature from her shirt. "What are you nine?" she complained, putting the small crab back in a tide pool. She glared at me as I kept laughing at her.

She ran up to me and launched herself in my arms. I buried my nose in her hair and squeezed her tightly. Spinning her in my arms, I kissed her neck and sucked her little sweet spot, earning a soft moan.

I chuckled. "So am I forgiven?"

She slapped my chest and smirked. "Only if you can give me a piggy-back ride up those steep stairs back to the car."

I rolled my eyes. "What are you nine?" She laughed and winked.

Pulling a slim brown camera from her front pocket, she set it on a large rock and put on a timer. With the ocean behind us, I pulled her close and held her gaze. Her answering smile was breathtaking as the camera flashed.

"Come on, princesa." I stood in front of her and bent my knees enough for her to climb on my back. With her arms around my shoulders and her luscious legs around my waist, I tested to make sure she wouldn't fall.

"I'm a bit heavier than your average back pack," Bella said in my ear.

"Ha, I think you're right," I mocked, faking that I could barely move. She slapped the back of my head.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ heavy!"

"You better hold on!" I warned her as I ran to the stairs and started the climb. Even with her on my back, I made the trek up fast. She laughed the whole time and would cover my eyes every once and a while. I put her down on the hood of the car and took her shoes from her hand and noticed her feet were full of sand.

She whined that the water was cold as I poured some on her feet to wash off the sand. I rolled my eyes at her and told her to be quiet – she did.

I looked up at her and she seemed lost in thought a bit. "Bella?"

"You really love me, don't you?" She asked her tone serious.

"Duh," I said at a complete loss of why she would question that.

"Sorry, it's just so strange how fast we're moving and how comfortable we seem to be. Sometimes it seems that you want to move faster." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

Did that scare her? I shrugged my shoulders and decided to go with the honesty again. "I do want more. I don't want to ever let you go." Bella's smile widened.

"We've only been going out for a little under two months, Edward. One of those weeks we spent teasing the hell out of each other and two we spent apart. How can you feel that strongly about me?"

"I admit that I never believed in the whole love at first sight type of thing –"

Bella interrupted before I could complete my thought. "Edward, please don't tell me you felt something other than lust that first day?"

"I don't know. I admit I wanted to fuck you right then and there," I said, putting her shoes on her dainty feet and stood between her legs. "But at the same time, I couldn't understand how you affected me so quickly."

"The first time I saw you, I swear my knees buckled. You were so much better looking than a photograph." I looked at her confused. "Remember? I did some research on you before I started to work for you. The pictures I found didn't do you justice."

"So tell me, what did you feel that first day?" I asked. One of my hands traced her spine, eliciting a little shiver.

"Well like I said my knees buckled just from that damn crooked smile and when we shook hands I felt…"

"A tingle…" I asked seriously.

"Yes, I knew I was in trouble." Bella sighed and looked thoughtful. "Edward, if I hadn't started to work for you and we met like at the gym, do you think you would've approached me?"

The memory of when I first saw her at the gym caused me to groan and twitch. "Fuck yeah." I palmed her ass. "You have no idea how fucking hot you look running on a treadmill." I proved my point and nibbled on the swells of her breasts, peeking out of her white blouse.

"Behave, we should go," Bella quipped, kissing the end of my nose and pushed me away.

I groaned and opened the car door for her. She brushed her ass against me before she climbed in the car. I adjusted myself while she laughed at me. Fucking cock tease. I slid into driver seat then Bella climbed into the back seat.

"Remember how I said 'public places'?" She smirked and started to shimmy out of her shorts. I groaned and noticed tiny ruffled white and red panties. I looked around outside. We hadn't seen anyone all day at the pools and I hoped that our luck would hold.

I opened my door and climbed into the back thankful for a full seat. Bella unbuttoned her top, giving me a view of her beautiful chest in a matching bra. A fucking front clasp bra, so damn convenient. She had planned it. Should I be offended? Fuck no, I was fucking thankful. _Fuck_, _I love this woman._

We managed to make it to Big Sur about an hour later after we christened the rental, twice. After a considerably long hike, we managed to grab some dinner at a new local restaurant, which I was thankful for.

I hoped we wouldn't bump into anyone I knew around here. I never really spent much time at the beach house. No more than a few weeks a year. But watching Bella in the California sun made me want to visit more often. Anything to see her in less clothing would be worth enduring.

We ate some fresh sea food, discussing our day and laughed while we enjoyed each other's company. It was dark when left the restaurant. We found a beach that allowed beach fires, and joined a small party.

It was something I wouldn't have done, but Bella had insisted. I was glad that I had. Bella in the sunlight was breathtaking, but it didn't compare to her in the moonlight and firelight. I watched as she danced and laughed along with some of the others. She looked so carefree.

There was one man in particular, Laurent, who kept stealing glances toward Bella. She was of course oblivious to him as she started to sing along to some country song on the radio. I sat beside her, taking an offer of a Corona.

I listened to her sweet voice and noticed that Laurent had left. Several minutes later, I heard the alarm of my rental go off. A few of the other guys and I decided to check out my car. One of the passenger side windows was broken and we cleaned up the mess. When I returned from the parking area ten minutes later, Bella was nowhere to be found.

I asked one of the girls, Katie if she saw where Bella had gone. She said that Bella went for a walk. I followed her fading footprints in the sand and found her sitting on a rock. I watched from a far, she was crying.

Since Daniel's death, I had found her dozens of times sitting alone as she cried. I hated it but I never told her to stop. She seemed to feel better once she stopped on her own. I would sit with her, play with her hair or hum as I held her.

I approached her slowly. "There you are, my love," I said, taking a seat beside her.

"Why don't you come here more often?" she whispered, her question lingering in the wind.

"It's my parent's home. We came here from Chicago every spring vacation and summer. I loved it here, but it was never the same after they died."

"It's so beautiful here." She wrapped her arms around herself and laid her head on my shoulder. "I missed the beach."

"That's right, you lived in California for a while," I said.

"Yes, I did. I've wanted to move back here for so long."

"Why didn't you?"

"After my parents died, I just felt I needed to be home to help with Jordan."

"That's hardly fair."

"That's who I am, Edward. I would do again. He's family and I would do anything for him. Even kick his ass."

"So if I get out of line, you'd kick my ass?"

"In a fucking heartbeat," she answered seriously.

"I love you," I whispered as my lips descended on hers. She straddled my lap and said the words in return. We made love on the beach, it was so cliché, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world_._

~oOo~

When I awoke the next morning, Bella wasn't in bed with me. However, she left a note on her pillow.

_**Champ,**_

_**Went jogging didn't want to wake you. **_

_**I think I wore you out. Finally!**_

_**Love You Always, Bella**_

She was goading me again. I was going to find her and show her. Worn out, I don't think so. I hopped in the shower where I found a pair of her panties, hanging from one of the shower heads. Fucking tease!

Once I finished with my shower, fucking hard thanks to her panties, I grabbed a towel to dry off. Her bra fell from underneath it. I groaned and folded it, trying not to think of her fucking tits. _Too fucking late._

I walked to the mirror and look at my reflection. On it was writing in lipstick:

**We're only up to sixteen**

**Come and find me. ~Bella**

She was so fucking in for it. We hadn't managed to break our last record, and she was teasing me.

Dress in a pair of board shorts and nothing else, I walked into the kitchen. Among the orange juice and milk in the fridge was her bikini top. In the cupboard with the plates was her bikini bottom.

I was fucking rock solid. There was no way my dick would calm down with all the mental pictures of her undressed body in my head.

I tried my best to ignore my problem. Not something easy to do. I heard the downstairs door open and her footsteps up the steps. I took a seat, sitting at the small round kitchen table.

I completely ignored the gorgeous woman as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I hadn't noticed when some water fell down her chin, down her neck and disappeared into her sports bra.

"Shit," she said as her hand touched her cheek. It was then that I noticed the fucking bruise forming.

"Bella?" I jumped out of my chair and rushed to her side.

"I'm a fucking magnet for trouble."

"What the fuck happened?" I looked at the rest of her and noticed bruises forming around her left arm. They looked like fingers.

"Remember that creep Laurent, from the bonfire last night?" I nodded. "Well he happened to run into me down at the beach. He asked me out. I told him I wasn't interested. I don't think he liked _no_ for an answer."

"Fuck! He fucking hit you, didn't he?"

She nodded. "I didn't even see it coming. I turned my back on him and walked away. I was stupid to think he wouldn't do anything."

"Where the fuck is he?" I roared and ran down the stairs and threw the door open. On my driveway was an unconscious Laurent. Bella took care of herself.

"I was about to say I needed to call the police," Bella said as she stood beside me. "And a ambulance."

"You defended yourself?" I said stupidly. She rolled her eyes. "That's my girl," I said, grabbing her and kissing her full in the mouth. "Fuck it's hot knowing you can kick my ass."

"Don't you fucking forget it," she growled.

When the police arrived, they hadn't believed that Bella kicked Laurent's ass. She showed them her bruised knuckles to prove it. She also threw a punch to the officer's face, stopping before it landed. "Any questions?"

"Fucking hell," one of the other officers whispered.

We figured out how Laurent found us. He had broken into my rental where I had records in the glove compartment. There was paperwork that had the beach house address. He fixated on Bella the moment he saw her, who happened to look like his lost wife, Amelia.

Bella dropped the charges if he agreed to counseling. I was pissed that she'd let someone that hurt her, get away with nothing but a slap on the wrist. She believed that everyone had good in them. That everyone could change. I just hoped she wouldn't learn the hard way that it wasn't necessarily true of everyone.

We decided to spend the rest of the weekend at the house. Ruby and Nathan stopped by and had lunch with us. After we ate, Ruby started to take Bella's measurements.

"What are you doing, Ruby?" Bella asked. Ruby only said something about having to start a dress. Bella's eyes widened, looking over at Nathan.

"She thinks that she's making your wedding dress, dear," Nathan said with a smile. He laughed at her shocked expression. I fucking laughed. She looked like a deer caught in headlights of a car.

"Ruby, what makes you think I'm getting married?" Bella tried to step away but Ruby stopped her.

"You know you are." Ruby rolled her eyes, cursing in Spanish under her breath. "Don't try to tell me no." She pointed at her head. "I see things. You two be married by spring."

Bella looked shocked, even scared. I had to wonder what the fuck was so bad about marrying me. "I…Oh God…" Bella looked at me with pleading eyes.

"What's the matter, Bella?"

"What the hell do you think is the matter?"

"I think you're scared."

"I'm scared. I'm scared. Of course I am!"

"Why?"

"I…shit…I don't think you're the marrying type," Bella said, turning the tables on me.

"Well you're wrong. What if I told you that I've been thinking about for a while now? What if I told you that I wanted to come here for another reason besides a vacation? What if I told you that I came here to take my mother's ring from the safe here?"

"That's a lot of 'what if's'?" Bella whispered her eyes glistening.

I laughed. "You silly-clearly-confused-too trusting woman that is the reason for my existence. What if I told you I want you forever?"

Bella eyes betrayed her as more tears fell from her eyes. Then she passed out. _That's my girl._


	22. Eye of the Storm

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Two – Eye of the Storm**

* * *

Nathan and Ruby laughed as I pulled an unconscious Bella into my arms. I gently tapped her cheek, watching her eyes flutter open. Her cheeks flushed once she realized what had happened. Her smile was shy, eyes wide as she her lip between her teeth.

"You want me forever?" she asked. She had stopped breathing again, awaiting my answer.

I chuckled and nodded. "Breathe, Bella." Her cheeks reddened further as she inhaled sharply.

"Um, thanks for catching me." She steadied herself as I set her on her feet. Nervously she looked at Nathan and Ruby, blushing beautifully before returning her gaze to me. "Lucky number ten." Whatever she said, I could barely make it out.

"What was that?" I asked confused by her statement.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing," she lied, quite well I might add. Nathan chuckled from across the kitchen and Ruby looked at me apologetically.

"We'll leave you two alone," Nathan said, leading Ruby downstairs.

Bella pulled away from me and turned her back to me. "Do you know what you're asking?"

"Yes, of course. Do you want to see the ring?"I asked excited.

"No!" She turned to face me, looking at horrified expression. "Damn it…yes?" Bella sighed and shook her head. "Edward, we shouldn't even have that conversation until I can be completely honest with you."

I had anticipated she'd say something like that. We can't move on without the truth that was held over our heads. I sighed still not ready to hear what she predicted would end our relationship. Then I remembered what she mumbled earlier.

"Wait, you still didn't answer my question. What did you mean but 'lucky number ten'?" Her eyes widened and she seemed reluctant to answer. "Bella."

"Shit, damn mouth. Ugh, fine, you're the tenth person to ask to marry me. Not that you really did but you put it out there."

"Fuck ten times?" I looked at her in disbelief. That would mean that all her ex's were serious about her. The all loved her that much. Bella was a lovable, smart, self-less, and drop dead gorgeous woman.

"Yup and you know what? Not one of them caught me by surprise as much as yours did. Not that you really asked me anything." There was something sweet and mischievous in her eyes.

I stepped closer, taking her hand in my own. My lips kissed her pinky, and then proceeded to kiss each finger and her cute thumb, before I took her ring finger in my mouth and sucked on the tip softly. The intimate and erotic gesture turned my lovely Bella into a pile of goo. Added to that image was the fact that her knees actually started to buckle again.

"I love you," I said as I kissed her temple, and continuing to her ear.

"I love you, Edward. So damn much," she said in a low seductive tone. Lips met and sighs were exchanged in a sweet kiss.

"Baby, I understand why you're upset. There is so much going on in our lives at the moment. I don't want to hurt you and I know you think I will." Her eyes softened further as tears started to form. "But if it will make you feel better, I don't mind waiting for an answer. Let's get through the holidays and we'll sit down and have the discussion. Then I'll want your answer."

"Answer to what?" Bella asked coyly. She wanted me to say it.

"You know what," I purred near her ear, causing her to shiver.

"You mean if I'd like to see the ring?" Bella whispered angling her neck to give me better access.

"Stop teasing. It's not my fault that Ruby ruined what I intended to ask," I growled, nipping at her lovely, tasty collarbone.

"How did she ruin showing me a ring?" I warned her with a growl of her name and a love bite. "I'm sorry, that was not a proposal. I know a proposal when I hear one."

I growled under my breath, pushing my hips against hers. "Damn it, Bella. When I ask you to marry me," I said, as her breath caught. "Very soon, I'm going to wow you so much that it will render you speechless."

She laughed, against my neck. "But isn't that going to be a problem if you need an answer?"

"Stop making fun of me woman!" I growled, spanking her ass hard. She moaned deeply, pressing her ass closer to my hand. Fuck that was hot.

"I'm sorry I just find what happened beyond hilarious," she said, smiling. "I fucking fainted. I don't faint! I haven't done that in years."

"That's going to be a great story to tell our kids," I said thoughtfully. "Who else has fainting spells and a psychic seamstress in their proposal?" It took me a few moments to notice that Bella had tensed in my arms. I pulled away to see what was wrong.

"You want kids?" she asked, looking up at me with something close to wonder in her eyes. She was so damn beautiful.

I nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "I've even imagined us together. Our little girl had my hair color but your curls. Your big brown eyes and button nose, but I think my lips. In this same vision, you were pregnant with our second child, our son." Bella's expression was of astonishment.

"I had a similar dream. Our baby girl sat on your shoulder, not yet five and I my stomach was round and swollen, pregnant with our son."

I laughed, tightening my arms around her. "That's exactly what I pictured and we were walking hand in hand down a trail." The happiness in her eyes faded then. "Bella." I kissed her lips. "It will be fine."

After a light snack we cleaned up the kitchen an hour after Nathan and Ruby had left. I took Bella in my arms when she finished rinsing her hands. "I think we need to christen the couch since we never made it there the other night," she whispered.

I groaned and hoisted her up by her ass and walked her over to the couch.

Who said that we wouldn't beat our record? Not me.

Count them: Once in office, twice on the plane, five times in the shower, twice on the balcony, two counter top encounters, two car romps, once on the beach, five times in the living room and twice in bed. For a total of twenty-two, and the weekend was still not over. It was a very good thing that my girl healed really well after a nice soak in a bathtub.

~oOo~

Our plane was scheduled to leave at three in the afternoon on our last day in California. However, we set the alarm clock for early morning, Bella wanted to watch a sunrise. It was a little before dawn before I felt her shift beneath me. I groaned and refused to give up my favorite pillow, her chest.

"I want to take a walk and watch the sunrise, but you're welcome to stay in bed," she whispered, running her fingers through my hair.

I nodded, grumbling and turning to settle on my side. I heard her soft laughter before she swatted my ass. I moaned and wiggled my backside, hoping to convince her to stay in bed with me.

"Nice try, but I want to see the sun." The bed shifted and protested quietly as she climbed out of bed. A few minutes later, I heard the shower running. Morning suddenly looked downright awesome when I realized that behind a closed door was a wonderfully naked Bella…a wet naked Bella. My favorite.

I stretched my over worked muscles and groaned. Fuck, I my _workouts_ with Bella were better workouts than at the gym. I climbed out of bed, noticing I needed some help with something. Another shower encounter sounded good to me. When I joined her, she agreed.

An hour later, I found Bella in the kitchen. She'd left me minutes earlier so that I could get ready. I watched as she moved about the kitchen, unaware of my presence. Orange juice filled the glass as pulled a pill box from her pocket.

"Bella," I said, alerting her.

"Oh hey," she said over her shoulder. "I'll start breakfast when we get back." Then I asked what she was taking. She tensed as if reluctant to answer, and then her shoulders slumped in defeat. "It's mostly vitamins, iron, birth control and other things."

Fear clogged in my throat, thickening my blood. Was something wrong with her? "Other things," I asked warily.

"It was bad when you left and I couldn't pull myself together. I didn't want to…take anti-depressants again. I needed something to help. So I started to take a natural supplement, St. John's Wort."

In a few strides I was beside her, pulling her close. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry," she replied. "I decided to continue taking them after Daniel…"

I wasn't sure how long we stood there; it may have been minutes or hours. The poor woman in my arms has had so much pain in her life, and the fact that I caused some of it was cut me deeply. "I'll always be here for you, my love."

Together we walked the beach barefoot and hand-in-hand as the sky turned lighter. We watched the darkness of night brighten into an array of colors as the sun rose.

I wrapped my arms around Bella's waist, settling my chin on her shoulder. "What are you thinking?" I whispered.

She hummed a little before she answered, "I'm thinking that all this may come to an end and that if it did, I still wouldn't regret ever loving you."

"You won't have a chance to think any of that, Bella. I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded minutely and remained quiet for a while. "Edward," she whispered just audible for me to hear. "_If _you ask me to marry you, I'll say yes," she said in a voice so sweet and with so much conviction, that I could never doubt the sincerity of her words.

"You mean _when _I ask you," I corrected, placing another kiss on her temple. I took her hand and led her inside the house.

Once we cleaned up, packed up we made our way back to the master bedroom. There on one wall laid my most prized possession. It was a painting of a beautiful meadow, filled with long grass and wild flowers. The sun seemed to come from a top corner, illuminating the peaceful expanse of the meadow.

I told Bella that my mother had painted it a few months before she died and what it meant me. In a low voice I told her how I nearly tore down the house looking for the rolled up canvas. When I was old enough I had gone to a local framer and asked him to frame it for me, nothing fancy because I wanted the painting to be the highlight. He agreed. He asked why it was so important.

"I said to him, 'My mother painted it a few months before she passed. She'd say it was her favorite place to be, but that I never asked if it was something she imagined or if it was someplace real.'"

Bella's eyes were wide as they examined every inch of the painting. She pointed out how similar my mother's script was to my own. Carved initials, though illegible, were on one of the trees that Bella how thought may be the focal point of the painting. I had never taken the time to examine so thoroughly. It almost seemed that Bella herself had painted it.

I stood to the side of the large painting and allowed the frame to swing forward. Behind it, I opened the safe as Bella fidgeted nervously. I cocked an eyebrow to which she laughed.

"I put the most important things behind this painting." I pulled out a box full of photos of my birth parents and myself as a child. Handing it to Bella, she held like it was a treasure to behold. She laid the box beside her on a table.

There were a few babbles and necklaces that my mother treasured, passed down generation to generation. There were stories behind each piece, Bella listened to each one. We laughed through tears as I relived the memories of my childhood. The last box was a small black velvet box.

Soft, brown eyes widened, Bella held up her palm for me to place the box there. Her hands didn't tremble, her eyes didn't falter. She really wanted it. She opened it and smiled as she looked upon my mother's ring.

It had been in the family for over a hundred years. The band was silver and delicate with ornate swirls intertwining. There was a round one-point-five-seven karat diamond surrounded by small pearls.

"It's so beautiful, Edward," she said, looking up at me.

"Will you be willing to try it on?"

She nodded without hesitation, and I took the box from her to remove the ring. Taking her hand in my, I kissed her ring finger before I placed the ring on her finger. Her eyes were on the ring, she held out her hand, flexing her fingers. Her expression looked confused.

"What is it, love?"

"I don't know. It's strange, I feel like it was always meant to be there," she said in a whisper. "I can barely feel that it's there despite its size."

"Well my great, great grandfather was never known to be subtle." I chuckled. Bella laughed softly and wrapped her arms around my neck. I sighed, relishing the moment. She helped me return everything back in the safe and then she held out an envelope.

"What is it?"

"When I woke up early the other morning, I printed out some of the photos we took this weekend in your office."

I looked and smiled at each of the pictures, some silly others beautiful views of the surrounding beaches. That was until I came to the last photo. The one of the two of us on the beach near the tide pools. We were facing each other instead of the camera. In it, it held all beauty that was Bella. In her face, was a look of pure adoration and love. My own reflected the same. I placed in the safe. She smiled when she saw what I was doing and wrapped her arms around me again.

"We have to go, don't we?" Bella asked.

"Yes we do, love," I said, feeling a little desperate for the little slice of heaven not to end. She sighed, placing open mouth kisses along my jawline. I groaned as her lips wrapped around my earlobe, sucking on it. "Bella." Her name a hiss as I my jeans tightened.

"One last time before we go," she pleaded, her lips pressing harder against my skin. She didn't have to ask me twice. We barely made it to the airport on time.

Thankfully, Bree decided to stay a few extra days with friends. Though, I knew the truth of her sudden need to stay. Bella hadn't realized I listened in on her phone conversation the day before, offering Bree another flight home in two days after our scheduled date. All expenses paid.

Within minutes of takeoff, we were kissing and groping each other. I groaned as she straddled my lap. "Shit, I should be exhausted but fuck, but I want you," I gasped in between words, enjoying Bella's impromptu lap dance.

"My muscles are sore that I can barely walk, but I don't give a fuck," she said huskily in my ear. With that said I picked her up and made my way to the bedroom.

Our clothes were discarded within moments. Against the door, I pressed my body against Bella's. Our lips met harshly, I thrust my tongue in her mouth, desperate to taste her. Bella moaned then pushed me hard. What the fuck? I thought.

She grinned and side-stepped me, and slapped my ass hard. Fuck! I growled, making a grab for her. I knew what she was doing; she wanted a proper fuck. I was fucking game. Her hand slapped against my ass twice before I caught her around the waist.

"I got you now," I snarled in her ear. "Payback's a bitch, love." Her head fell against my shoulder as her body shuddered. I took one of her hands in mine, placing it on the door, doing the same with the other. "Keep them there and don't fucking move.

She nodded and spread her legs shoulder length apart. Fuck, I loved that she always anticipated my needs. I grasped her hips with both of my hands, and drove hard and fast inside her.

"Fuck!" she hissed.

I stilled for a moment and slapped her right cheek. "I didn't say you could talk." Mimicking the words she used on me before. She moaned and I slapped the other cheek. "Keep quiet, all I want to hear is my skin slapping against yours." I gave her an example as I slammed into her.

She whimpered softly, biting her lower lip in a desperate attempt to remain quiet. I kept up my assault not bothering to remain silent. I felt her starting to tremble.

"Not yet, Bella." I slammed into her, grunting with the depth I was achieving. With one hand on her hip, I placed the other beside hers on the door. "Fuck, Bella. Do you like when I take like this?" She remained silent. I curved my hand on her hip, sliding along smooth, slick skin, where I pinched her clit.

"Yes!"

"Now I want to hear you," I whispered, increasing my pace both on my thrusts on rubbing her little clit.

"Oh…so good," she gasped. She muttered incoherencies as I drove inside her.

"So fucking good," I groaned, feeling the string close to snapping. I bent my knees for more leverage and thrust into her hard and fast. She screamed as she tried to maintain her pose. Three more times I thrust inside her, close so fucking close. "Now."

She screamed and let go. Two more thrusts and I bit into her shoulder, groaning as I filled her. She trembled and clenched around me for a second time, her head bent, harsh breaths escaped her. Her arms suddenly, causing her to rest her forehead on the door. My arms wrapped my arms around her waist and led her to the bed. We both laid down, facing each other, catching our breath.

"I'm sore," Bella whispered.

"Same here," I said, draping my arm around her hip.

"I think I'll have to take a long soak when I get home."

"Mind if join you," I said and grinned wickedly. She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Does that mean yes?" Bella nodded and jumped out of bed. "Where are you going?"

"Just to get cleaned up, I'll be back in a minute." She grabbed my t-shirt and walked out of the bedroom. I laid on my back, looking at the ceiling. She still wore the ring.

Did it mean we were engaged or was she going to make me ask her directly? I didn't mind either way. However, I didn't want to see her take it off though. Within a few minutes, she returned, removed my t-shirt and joined me back in bed. But she laid her head beside my feet. I looked at her curiously. She grinned, took my foot, and started to massage it. I groaned. We both shifted to lie on our sides, facing each other.

"You have pretty feet for a guy," she said and pressed her thumbs hard into the arch of my foot.

"I do?" I took her dainty foot beside me into my hands and started doing the same to her.

"Yup and you have big feet." She giggled. I rolled my eyes. "You know what they say about big feet?"

I rolled my eyes and grinned. "No I don't. What?"

"Big feet," she said, trailing off almost shyly, "Big shoes."

"Makes sense," I said, laughing at her silliness. "Why are you still wearing the ring, Bella?" I asked seriously.

She sighed and shrugged. "I like where it is," she answered softly. I told her I did, too. "But –"

"You can't wear it right now," I finished her sentence. She shook her head. "I understand."

"Do you?" she asked looking at me her face in laced with pain.

"Yes. When the time is right the ring will go back on that finger and will remain there."

We remained quiet for several minutes, enjoying the last of our alone time together. The following weeks were busy for the both of us. Between Bella's practice and work, we'd be lucky to manage to get anymore than a couple hours together other than sleep. Then there were the holidays, the concert, and finally the gala.

I sighed as Bella's hands slid from my foot and ran up legs. I groaned, hardening in moments. She grinned wickedly and shifted to take me in her mouth. I hissed, fisting the sheets beneath me.

"Bella," I groaned. Her tongue swirled around my head, sucking at the tip. She hummed around me, causing me to groan again. My fingers curled around her thigh and I pulled it over my head. She was wet and I needed a fucking taste.

I licked her slit and she moaned, eliciting a shiver and gasp from me. I grunted and bucked my hips further in her mouth. I sucked on her clit, teasing her. Her thighs tightened around my head as I continued to tongue fuck my beautiful, hot ass girlfriend.

I pulled my head back to see and used her wetness to lubricate my finger. Bella used her teeth. I groaned, bucking my hips again. My free hand kneaded and pulled at her ass cheek so I could get a better view of all her. I slowly moved my finger down from her clit, gently massaging in small circles, and I moved down past her wet entrance. She moaned around me, knowing what I was about to do.

Gently I pressed my fingertip against her as I my mouth closed over her clit again. She bucked her hips and I pressed further. With my fingertip inside her, she groaned deeply and started to suck me harder. I grunted, bucking my hips a few times to encourage her. Her hips mimicked mine, so I slid my finger in further. Fuck, all the way in. She moaned and whimpered as I slid back out slowly and started a rhythm. Soon she was trembling, moaning, and whimpering around my cock.

Soon we were both covered in sweat and desperate for release. I increased my pace with my finger and with my tongue as she did the same with her mouth. With my other hand still firmly in place on her ass, I squeezed it hard just as she grabbed mine, her fingernails digging into my skin.

Fuck, it was always so good. I nibbled on her clit and she exploded. Her body and mouth stilled for a moment, and then she grabbed my ass to pull closer and deep throated me. "Fuck," I groaned, licking her still as she rode out her orgasm. I groaned and bucked my hips a few times before grunting with my blinding release.

We both lay back for a few minutes, catching our breath. I got up and kissed her lips. "Are you okay?" I was worried that I may have hurt her. Smiling as if thoroughly sated, she nodded. I smiled at her and grabbed my boxers. "I'm going to clean up. Be right back." I kissed her euphoric face and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"You should see the 'just been fucked' look you're wearing." I chuckled. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're one to talk. You've been wearing that grin all weekend."

I rolled my eyes and didn't argue, because it was true.

~oOo~

We made it back to her place a little after eight in the evening with Chinese food and our bags from our trip. Derek greeted us at the door and had Rick help us with our belongings. He was holding up a large box, too.

"Ugh…it that from the publishing house?" Bella asked. Rick nodded his reply. She rolled her eyes, unlocking her door. "Thanks Rick," she said and took the box from him, since I had our bags. "Oomph, what the hell did she send me?"

Rick laughed and took the box from her and placed it beside the door. "At least it wasn't as big as the other delivery box when your chair came in," he said, chuckling.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting that chair, Rick!" she chastised him, causing color to rise in his cheeks. "Besides you're the one that recognized what it was, so ha."

"Yeah what can I say? It's my favorite piece of furniture."

"Ugh. TMI Rick," she said, shaking her head. "Tell Abby I said hi." Rick nodded as he left. I shook my head looking at her. "What?"

"Do you always make friends so easily?" Bella shrugged. "So what's in the box?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know. Some of it will be fan mail, the rest…" she trailed off, grabbing a letter opener from a nearby table. "Can you take it to the coffee table so I can look?"

I nodded and picked it up. It was heavy. She followed and opened the box before she sat down. I looked over her shoulder and she started to unpack packets upon packets of envelopes.

"What are these?" Grabbing a packet of letters and noticed a lot of them were from women. Though there was quite a few from men.

"The publishing house receives all my fan mail then sends it here once a month," Bella said pulling out a small box. "Sometimes I get toys too," she said, blushing. I laughed taking the box from her. It was a plain cardboard box that said 'A Ring for Him.' I cocked an eyebrow at her in question.

She laughed. "It's a cock ring. I have a dozen of those. I usually give them as gag gifts!" Bella giggled, clutching her side at my lack of knowledge in this area.

"A what?"

"I guess quantity doesn't make up for experience." I glared at her. "You put this around the base and it vibrates." Admittedly, I was a little intrigued. "It holds off your release." That might make to our bedside table.

She continued to take out packs of letters, more sex toys, including vibrators, DVDs, and lingerie. I was a little pissed that some sent her those types of items. She insisted that many were from companies not from someone personally. When she came to the last box and she held it up. It was pink and there was a model's lower body modeling black lace panties.

I shrugged I've seen black panties before. I preferred them on the fucking floor. She smiled pointing at the wording on the box.

_**Remote Controlled Vibrating Panty Set.**_

_**Range 100 ft. Batteries included.**_

My eyes widened. I took the box and grinned. It was going to be an interesting morning the following day.

She met me at my apartment the next morning, smiling. "Good morning, love." I kissed her softly, taking the cup of coffee she had for me. "I missed you." She murmured the same. "Are you wearing them?" She cocked an eyebrow that clearly stated 'what do you think?'

With her hand in mine, we took the elevator down to the garage. It was gloriously empty, oh how convenient. I placed my briefcase on the floor, placing my free hand in my pocket. Then I pressed the button in the small remote. Startled, Bella jumped beside me, her hand tightening around mine. I released the button and earned a sweet little whimper.

When I laughed, she slapped my arm. I pressed the button in the car on the way to the office, a few times in the elevator up to our offices, and once or twice times while we prepared for an important meeting in the conference room. By the time the meeting came back around, Bella was barely maintaining her composure.

I watched the rest of our team. My father sat at the head of the conference table. Emmett, who sat across from me, took care of the construction, including the electrical engineering. Jasper sat beside my brother, who handled the landscaping. Together we made up the three equal partners of Cullen & Cullen Inc.

The morning meeting was with officials for the City of Seattle. We were there to discuss any problems that arose with the current project we were bidding for against Black & Uley. For the last twenty minutes, I'd wickedly held off Bella's release. I watched her from time to time get close, but I'd stop the vibrator. She cursed every time, only audible to me.

From time to time, I noticed Carlisle look in our direction. He seemed to suspect something was up. I cocked an eyebrow and put both of my hands on the table to show him I was innocent. His eyes narrowed, zeroing on the remote in my hand.

He looked away quickly, and I had to wonder what he thought. A few minutes later we took a break, allowing everyone to mingle and grab some refreshments. From across the room, Bella cocked her head toward the exit. I nodded minutely. She excused herself seconds later. I waited several seconds before I pressed the button a few times, knowing she'd probably be pissed with I joined her. Fuck if I wasn't already hard thinking about it.

As I approached the exit, Carlisle stopped me. "Hand it over," he said, holding out his hand.

"Hand what over?"

"The remote," he said. I paled, gaped like an idiot, and I fucking blushed. "Don't be surprised, Edward. Alice bought a pair for Esme last year." He grinned, holding out his hand again.

I might have baby-barfed. Too much fucking information, that was so wrong. I sighed and handed the remote to him. "You can have it back _after_ the meeting."

I shook off the shudder and made my way to the office. Once inside, I found my naughty temptress sitting on the counter, her lovely legs crossed. "Did you enjoy fucking with me?" she growled.

Oh yeah, straight to my cock. "Yes," I answered honestly, closing the distance between us. Her angry glare didn't waver. She hopped off the counter and motioned for me to sit where she just was. The moment she climbed on my lap, her lips met mine viciously. Teeth scraped over my bottom lip, I groaned and my hand immediately groped her ass.

Fumbling with buttons, I pushed off her jacket off her shoulders. She slid each side of jacket wide open, fingers nimbly plucking my buttons open. She stiffened for a second before continuing. Her lips left mine, choosing to tease along my neck. My own lips moved over her collarbone.

"Stop pressing the damn button," she whispered against my lips. Her hands wove in my hair, angling to thrust her tongue in my mouth, tugging hard. Fuck, I loved that shit.

"I'm not," I gasped. She stilled again.

"Stop it, Edward," she growled.

"I'm not doing nothing but grabbing your fantastic ass," I countered. She stilled again. What the fuck?

**Carlisle **

Ah to be young. Who was I kidding? To have a healthy sex life seemed more appropriate. I hadn't when I told Edward that Esme had a pair of similar panties. In fact, we used them from time to time. The last time was during dinner with the family, including Bella. Esme was a mess by the time we got home. That was an incredible night, and I was glad we decided to skip dessert.

I shook my head at the thought, placing the remote amongst my things on the conference table. I joined in a discussion with a few of our guests. When I wanted to introduce Emmett to someone from the Engineers' Guild, I looked to find him sitting at the head of the table.

Playing with the remote. Shit. He pressed it once, twice, and a third time. I winced and thought that he next time I'd see the happy couple, it would be awkward. In a few strides I was across the room.

"Emmett, drop the remote," I hissed when I was within whispering distance. He looked up at me confused, his finger was again pressed the button.

"What?"

**Edward **

I gripped Bella's hips, looking up at her.

"Edward, where's the remote?" Bella gasped as she threw her head back. What the fuck?

"Umm, Carlisle took it from me," I said sheepishly.

Bella's eyes widened and her jaw snapped shut. "Are you telling me Carlisle is pressing the button right now?" she whispered through her clenched teeth.

"I'm sure it's an accident," I tried, wondering the same thing. "It's probably in his pocket or something. I'm sorry."

Quickly, she climbed off me and pulled off her panties. "Now where were we?" she asked as she slipped right where she belonged.

I groaned placing my hands firmly on her ass again. "Do you still have the same blouse in my closet?" Distracted by question she only nodded. I tore her blue silk top open.

"Greedy," she said breathily, smirking. Cocky little shit.

"No, fucking horny," I said. Unwilling to be slow further, I took one of her nipples in my mouth, cloth and skin beneath my tongue. She moaned, tugging my shirt from my pants, tearing at it as I had hers. Sporty nails scraped over my chest, causing me to hiss in pleasure.

I pushed up her hips, undid my belt and pants to free myself. I bit out a hiss of her name as her tongue and teeth teased my nipple. Fabric bunched around my wrists as I hitched her skirt up around her hips. My cock ached, guiding her, thrusting up to meet her.

It was a fucking frenzy after that. With a flick of my fingers I had undone the front clasp of her sexy bra. It was when I hungrily took her nipple between my lips that she stared to bounce harder, faster above me. When my teeth I teased a raised peak, she whispered my name in a chant and pushed my head harder against her chest. Fuck, I love when she asked for what she wanted.

A swirl of her hips had me gasping for control. To stifle the guttural groan that rumbled in my chest, my mouth closed over skin. The action pushed Bella over the edge, clenching tightly around me. With a few more thrusts, I let go with her name on my lips.

Minutes later, we walked back to the conference room with big "just-been-fucked" grins. Graciously, like a true gentlemen, I pulled Bella's chair out for her, but discreetly palmed her ass. I never actually admitted I was a gentleman. After taking my seat, I cocked an eyebrow and gave him a lethal glare before the meeting restarted.

Carlisle's look of remorse prompted me to believe he knew exactly why I was upset. He shook his head and pointed to Emmett. Bella gasped, hiding her flushed face in her hands. I turned my glare toward Emmett.

He lifted his hands and shrugged with a look of confusion. He mouthed, "What did I do?"

Bella giggled beside me, it was obvious Emmett was oblivious. Thank God. There was no way he'd let us live that shit down.

~oOo~

A week had passed and no one had noticed the ring that Bella wore on a long chain every day. She said she wanted it as close to her as possible. It was extremely happy to know that a simple of my commitment to her was so close to her heart.

The atmosphere was filled with tension and adrenaline. It was concert day. "What do you mean you're going to be late, Chad?" Bella screamed into her cell phone. She moved throughout the bedroom, looking for something wear. "Damn it. You're not going to have time to rehearse." She paused to listen for a bit. "Fine, are you still using those three songs?"

There was a knock at the door, knowing it was Alice. I answered the door, and thankfully it was Alice bearing gifts in the form of clothes. Jasper chuckled behind her.

"Oh thank God," I said, pulling her inside. "She's going crazy in there."

"How much do you love me?" she asked, brushing past me.

"Well if you have a decent outfit that will not have thousands of assholes eye-fucking my girlfriend then I love you very much, dear sister. But if it's an outfit that I instantly want to take her and fuc—"

"Shut up," she snapped at me before sticking out her tongue. I followed Alice into the bedroom as Jasper went to hunt for a drink. Bella was pacing and throwing things left and right in a bra and boy shorts. Alice cleared her throat and instantly Bella enveloped Alice in her arm.

"Thank you, thank you, and thank you!"

The outfit was an altered Seattle Seahawks jersey and skinny jeans with a pair of boots. Bella grinned and shooed us out to change. I led Alice back to the living room and we spoke in whispers. I wanted to make sure my surprise was ready and there were no problems.

"Everything is ready and set," she said, smiling. "You're going on after One Republic since they're using the piano, too." Jasper looked at us in confusion. Alice must have not told him.

"Thank you," I said appreciatively. Alice turned and asked her husband to fetch her some water.

"I noticed the necklace Bella was wearing," Alice said warily. I stiffened. "I won't tell anyone if that's what you want."

"It's complicated, Alice."

"I know it is. Did she say yes?"

"She said that she would say yes _when_ I ask her." I proceeded to tell what happened and how my plan to ask her was foiled by a psychic. I also told her that Bella didn't let me ask her because we first had to talk.

Alice sighed. "I know it will work out, but please remember, Edward, she loves you."

"I won't forget."

She wrapped her arms around me. "She's good for you. She's done nothing more than love you and bring out the best in you."

"She did, didn't she?" She nodded. I kissed the top her spiky head.

"Okay, enough of the mushy stuff," she whispered, wiping her eye. "Here is your jersey and a new pair of jeans."

I had finished changing when Bella about to step out of the bedroom. "Ready?" Bella asked. I nodded and held out my hand. She opened the bedroom door fully and I growled.

She looked hot. Her hair was tousled and looked as if she just got fucked and her clothes were tight and little left to the imagination. Fucking Alice. We made it to the rehearsal a little late because of that outfit and it made me feel a little better.

The rehearsal went off without a hitch. I couldn't believe the people that were here to give their support. Rob Thomas and his wife were there to greet the others as they arrived. Three was Bruce-fucking-Willis, who hugged Bella a little too long. The members of One-Republic all greeted Bella with hugs and kiss. Who in the fuck was my girl?

On stage, Rascal Flatts were practicing, "Bob That Head." Keith Urban and his wife Nicole also greeted Bella like an old friend. She explained that they worked together the previous year on a project that Nicole sponsored and had been friends ever since. There was also Brad Paisley and his lovely wife Kimberly who greeted us next, their cute little boy planted on Brad's shoulders.

Ne-Yo and _Oh no! Here comes the squealing! _"Donnie!" Bella screamed, jumping into his arms. The fucker caught her easily. Alice squealed beside me, jumping up and down beside Jasper. "I can't believe you're here!" She slipped into the arms of another member of the group. I rolled my eyes. It was going to be a long fucking day_. _

It was time for the concert to start, and my family and I sat in the front row. They only allowed five hundred fans to sit stage-side while the rest were in the stadium seating. Bella had offered us to use the top box with the mayo, but I wanted to be close for my surprise. Well that, and I wanted to make sure I could watch her closely.

Bella came on stage, looking a little nervous, but also beautiful. She gave me a wink and touched her necklace, causing my smile to widen. She smiled toward the camera directly in front of her. The stadium was filled with screams and flashes.

"Hey everybody. Do you know what time it is?" The crowds erupted with cheers. "Before we get to the show, I wanted to thank all of you for _your _contribution to make Seattle a better place for everyone, including the less fortunate." The people that filled the seats screamed their approval. "Thanks to all of you and the donations of some of the great artists here, we have reached our goal and surpassed it." The audience thundered. "We will be breaking ground in March for, not one shelter but two!"

The audience went nuts. "Not only have we managed to raise enough money for those projects, but we raised enough to maintain those two building for at least a few years and start a few new projects for New Beginnings and for Sidewalk Angels.

"Now give yourselves a round of applause! You deserve it!" Bella screamed, clapping her hands and hollering. "Now without further ado, I'd like to introduce the founder of Sidewalk Angels, Rob Thomas."

She walked off the stage and ran toward me. Just as Rob came up to the stage and sat on a stool, she wrapped her arms around me. "How did I do?"

"Fantastic, love." I grinned, returning her hug. We listened as Rob spoke a little about his foundation and thanked Bella for everything she'd done. While he sang "Little Wonders," Bella and I swayed to the music with her back to my chest. I tightened my arms her waist, letting the words flow through me and I sang along.

"…_these twists and turns of fate, time falls away. These small hours, these small hours still remain_."

After his song came to an end, he called Bella up on stage. She pulled a stool with a wireless microphone in her hand. Rob started to strum on his guitar and started out the song. They both did wonderfully and Bella looked so carefree on stage. They finished the song with a thunderous response from the audience. Then she introduced the next artist, Rhianna.

The next string of performing artists was introduced by some movie stars, so Bella was able to stay with me a bit longer. Kelsey Grammar introduced Brad Paisley who sang two songs before introducing Keith Urban where they performed their collaboration "Start a Band."

Keith finished off his performance with a couple of chart toppers, one of which reminded me about how much loved waking up to Bella every morning. His wife introduced One Republic and that was when I had become nervous.

I had never played to that large of an audience, it was fucking stadium seating! There were thousands of people there to watch and listen. However, that what wasn't what really bothered me. It was whether or not Bella would like the lullaby I composed for her.

When the group finished with their popular "Apologize," Alice nudged me. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

I bent and whispered in Bella's ear, "Love, I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." She pecked my lips, grinning. She looked so damn happy about how well it was all coming together. I was so fucking proud of what she'd accomplished with the concert.

I circled the stage so Bella wouldn't see me, and climbed on stage. A producer and Kimberly Williams waited for me on the right side of the stage.

"Edward, I'll introduce you. Did you want to talk also?" Kimberly asked. I nodded, clearing my throat and taking an offered bottle of water.

The producer handed me a microphone. "After you finish speaking, make sure you flick the switch off the mike or else we'll get feedback," he warned me. I nodded and waited back stage until the last notes were played.

Kimberly wished me luck and walked out to introduce me. I walked out toward the middle of the stage where the baby grand piano was set up. Kimberly handed me the microphone, placing a peck on my cheek before she'd left. I sat at the piano and chanced a glance at Bella who'd been pushed on stage by Alice. She had her fingertip in her mouth, biting her fingernail nervously. She had to be wondering what I was up to.

"I'm going to play a piece I composed that was inspired by the founder of New Beginnings, Bella Swan." I patted the bench, my eyes on her, and she sat down slowly. "That's right, guys, she's taken," I said quickly. Bella groaned and shook her head. I turned off the mike and placed it on my other side on the bench.

With one kiss upon her lips, I turned my attention to the piano. I started to play, the piece started out intense, which was how our relationship started. Then it started to flow into a more sensual piece before it became filled with sadness, just a whisper of it. The sadness was from when we were apart for the brief yet too long period of time. Then it flowed again to a more sensual and brighter piece, ending where I thought we were, happy.

The last notes faded before a roar of applause came from the audience. I turned toward Bella, taking her hand and kissing it. Her smile widened and she wiped her eyes. Leaning my forehead on hers, we both whispered our love to each other before I gave her a chaste kiss. We had to keep PG after all.

"Wasn't that wonderful everyone?" Alice said with a microphone in hand. Bella and I rose to our feet as a group of stage hands moved the piano aside to make room for the next performers.

"Now let's hear it for Ne-Yo and The New Kids on the Block performing, Single!" Alice squealed through the microphone. The three of us watched from the side of the stage. They danced to the music with squeals of delight. They were both singing and swaying. I rolled my eyes. _Stupid New Kids_. After another song by NKOTB, Bella started to worry. There were a few more performances but there was an act missing.

"Who's supposed to go after them?"

"Well it's supposed to be Nickelback, but they were having problems with their flights," Bella said, craning her neck to look around back stage. "After their last song, we're all supposed to go on stage and perform Rob's song 'Street corner Symphony' together."

"I'm sure it will be fine. They have about twelve minutes to get here," I said, trying to reassure her.

She smiled and started to clap. "They're here!" She smiled, wrapping her arms around me. "Oh, this day couldn't have gone any better. I love you." I smiled and kissed her thoroughly.

Bella greeted the group and made sure they were ready to perform. She went on stage, thanking the members of those class one a-holes, NKOTB. They all kissed and hugged her. Fuckers. Donnie and Jordan hugged a little too long and tightly for my tastes. She hadn't told me that she _knew _them. Why hadn't she told me? Because I was a jealous fucker.

My red-haze vision had started to clear, since the members of the Block were back stage and Bella was onstage, introducing Nickelback. After a few numbers by the group, the rest of the artists joined Bella and Rob onstage.

Rob started out the first few lines then Keith and his wife sang a few, before everyone joined in for the chorus. Bella sang her little heart out, clapping and swaying to the music between, unfortunately next to Jordan and Donnie. Assholes. It hadn't help that Bella looked like she was enjoying being there.

Okay, red-haze vision was closing back in. Fuck. _Did he just touch her ass? _Red-haze overload. I took a few deep calming breaths. She wouldn't act on any of their advances, I trust her. _Oh right, now an "accidental" brush against her tit. _I was going to kill someone.

When the song came to an end, the entire group held hands and bowed. It was sweet and fantastic how they came together for this cause, their own causes and for Bella. After a few more cleansing breaths, I felt better. It helped that Bella had came running back to me and wrapped herself around me.

It was her turn to kiss me thoroughly. The members of a certain group passed us and all I could think was, _that's right fuckers, she's with me. _I felt instantly better.

After the show everyone was piled into The Palisade, mingling while they waited for dinner. The owners of the restaurant closed it just to accommodate the after party. Alice was beside herself, wrapped around Joe McIntyre. Jasper just rolled his eyes and went the flow. Fucker, how can he be so calm? _Oh yeah, they're married._

Bella decided to get a little tipsy, and I chose not to. Not because I wasn't enjoying myself, because I was. It was just easier to keep an eye Bella when I wasn't under the influence.

A few hours later, I managed to drag her off and get her in a cab ride home. Our doorman laughed at the state Bella was in, and I tried my best not to. Her skin seemed to take a pinkish glow. It suited her. I laughed when she attempted to remove her jacket in the elevator up to her apartment.

"Edward, my zipper won't zipper," she cried out.

"That's because your jacket has buttons, love," I gasped, laughing.

"Oh that makes sense," she whispered, before she started to unbutton her jacket. Once she was done with that, she started with the button of her jeans.

"Bella, love, what are you doing?"

"These stupid jeans are too tight," she complained, stepping out of them and her boots. I groaned when I'd seen that she'd gone commando.

I grabbed her and shielded her from the camera, picking up her clothes. "Edward," she purred in my ear. I hissed when she bit down on my earlobe. The elevator dinged at our arrival, I was very thankful that it never stopped anywhere. It was also very hard to unlock a door when you're half-naked girlfriend is blowing in your ear. The second I succeeded, Bella peeled off her jersey and walked to the bedroom.

"Edward, I think it's time to put our chair to use tonight." Fuck, that one sentence went straight to my cock. I hadn't wanted to take advantage of her while she was drunk. Then she started twirling and dancing in the hallway, dancing to her own music. Fuck it.

~oOo~

It was a week later when Bella and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment. Our apartment? Well, I had spent a grand total of three hours at my place in the last few weeks.

When I told Bella that, she asked me to move in with her. I said yes, since I wanted to and my lease was up in February. Hopefully, by then we could make our engagement official.

Bella's remaining family wasn't able to join us. Jordan was visiting with Julie's family for Thanksgiving. His rehabilitation was going well. How well, he refused to tell us, but you can tell he was proud of himself whenever he called. Jacob and Nessie were spending the holidays in La Push with Billy and Sue.

So it was just me, Bella and my family. It took me a bit to realize that my family was complete. Soon, I gathered from conversations around the table, that there'd be some new members that would make our family perfect.

We were all eating happily and praising Bella's and my mother's cooking skills, when Emmett turned his attention to me.

"What's the best meal Bella makes?" Emmett asked from across the table, while he ladled gobs of gravy on his mashed potatoes.

Without thinking I answered. "Taco Bella."

Jasper snickered, Bella punched me and Alice was disgusted. Rosalie was trying not to laugh and Emmett looked like he was chocking. My aunt on the other hand looked distracted and so did Carlisle. My eyes landed on his fingers curled around a small remote. That shit was just wrong!

Bella left the following morning to shop with Alice and Rosalie for Black Friday. She returned with Rick, Derek, Adam and I think a neighbor from downstairs, all carrying bags. She looked exhausted as she sat on the couch.

"Are you all right, love?"

She shook her head. "I think I spent my book advance money today." I laughed because that sounded like Alice.

~oOo~

"Are you sure you have to go?" I asked as I trailed kisses down the throat.

"You know I do, Edward. I'll only be gone for fifty-two hours," she assured me.

"We've haven't been apart for that long."

"I didn't complain when you had to fly to Los Angeles for the Berkman Project."

"But I was only gone for eighteen hours and it was torture. I still don't see why you didn't just come with me."

"I was training my replacement and getting my office ready."

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around her. She refused to let me drive her to the airport, stubborn as a mule, the woman. I palmed her ass and squeezed hard, hoping to convince her to stay. She loved when I did it.

"Edward," she moaned. She huffed, I sensed her resolve crumbling. "Fine, just come with me to the airport then."

"Public sex, "I said, grinning.

"If you insist but I'm on top."

"Do you always have to be in control?" I asked. She gave me a sexy smile and shrugged. Oh well, call me a fucking slave. I was willing to play along.

An hour later, I kissed her good-bye at her gate and tried to help her fix her hair. I may have messed up a little in the bathroom stall. It was her fault, since she knew better than to wear it up, I always took it down. I watched as she walked through security. For some reason, I felt a sense of loss.

Which was ridiculous? She was coming back to me.

I moped around the apartment the following day, thoroughly bored. Bella was on a plane back home, but it will be at least another four hours until she arrived. I missed her terribly.

Phone sex wasn't the same, neither was web cam sex, but it was still fucking hot.

I was sitting in her office, in our apartment, going over a project I needed to work on my work laptop. However, I couldn't focus. I went to Bella's music collection and picked out Debussy.

I turned her CD player on and put Debussy. I pressed play, but the player said that it was unable to play. I took it out and looked at it, it was scratch free.

Curious. I placed it in my laptop. Strange it said there were several files, it was a data disc. No wonder it hadn't played. There was a folder marked "Daily Log," a folder named "Scans and News Clippings," and a folder that read "Case File No. 10 Edward Cullen."

What the fuck? I clicked on the one with my name. There were several pages of Word documents and most of my personal information and history. What the fuck? Did she have me investigated? A page stood out more than the rest.

_**Subject No 10: Edward Anthony Cullen, AKA The Womanizer**_

_**Clients: Alice and Jasper Whitlock; Emmett and Rosalie McCarty**_

_**Revised: Carlisle and Esme Cullen now involved.**_

_**Referred by: Jacob Black**_

_**Revision: Case closed/ September 14, 2009**_

What. The. Fuck! I closed the documents and opened the one named "Scans and Newspaper Clippings." There were hundreds of photos of me with other woman, scans of some of the newspaper articles. There were several pictures from when I was named Bachelor of the Year in 2007. With every click of the mouse, my breathing hitched and my vision changed. I closed the folder and opened "Daily Log."

There were six videos. I clicked on the first video dated the day before I met Bella. She was sitting in front of her computer, adjusting the web camera.

"Subject No. 10: Edward Cullen. The man is well known throughout Seattle's socialites as a womanizer. Through research I found that most women that he'd been wither were not regrettable. At least not publicly. They all knew what they were getting into when he took them home.

"Jasper Whitlock may become a problem. He didn't recognize me, I'm thankful. That ass hasn't changed a bit. I have. Emmett McCarty, a name from my past, too bad the face and persona doesn't match."

She started to pace the room. "Edward Cullen. The man is Adonis in human form. Perfect. Too bad his attitude leaves much to be desired. He knows how everyone else perceives him and he uses it to his advantage. Upon further research, I found a website for all the women that have been with him, where they can exchange stories. The membership is three hundred twenty-three members strong and growing."

I shook my head and stopped the video. I didn't need to hear what she thought about me. I clicked on the next video dated the day I met her. She was wearing a sexy bra and panty set with her robe open. Her hair was piled on top of her head.

"Today was my first day of work. One thing I can say for sure about Edward Cullen, pictures don't do the man justice. I don't think there's a medium that would be able to capture the essence of his perfection. The forbidden fruit strategy seemed to work. I noticed his instant attraction to me. Once Emmett helped me with our little 'accident' outside of the employee lounge, it was hard for him to hide it."

She grinned and shook her head. "He did show some concern. It seemed genuine. From what I can tell, he only has one tell. His nose twitches. But I have to test him to see when he lies.

"James may be an issue with the way he approached me. If he seems harmless next time, I may be able to use him to make Edward jealous."

Bella started to stretch and seemed lost in thought. "Alice and Rosalie's help worked perfectly. He couldn't even hold himself together." She sighed and closed her eyes. "He did show some concern when I was vulnerable to the temperature of his office. Don't know if I should be thankful or disgusted that he looked. No, I'm thankful. I'm sure that pig of a client noticed. The whole time he was trying to ask me out for dinner, he kept looking at my chest.

"Then Edward had the nerve to tell me not to date clients or employees. Asshole. Maybe he should take his own fucking advice. The nerve of him. It actually felt like he was calling me a slut. If he only knew. I had to get out of there. I was so close to just dropping the case right then and there. But I'm not one to give up so easily."

I had seen enough. Sick to my stomach, an ache blossomed in my chest as my blood boiled. I clenched my fists and jumped out of the chair. I roared and sent my computer and everything off the desk as I flung it to its side. My chest ached so fucking much.

It was all a fucking joke. It was all fucking fake. On the ground was a photo of Bella and me from Thanksgiving. Her smile was beautiful, she looked happy, but she was pretending. The glass of the framed photo crumbled as it hit the wall across from me.

A memory of our trip to the coast played in my head. Something she had said. _"Trust me, I'm a good actress." _

**Bella**

I was home. God, I couldn't wait until I was in his arms again. I sprinted down the hall to the door of our apartment. _Our_ apartment. I loved the sound of that. I missed him terribly.

I unlocked the door, realizing that it was after two in the morning. I hoped he hadn't fallen asleep. If so I was sure he wouldn't mind if I woke him up. I opened the door and placed my suitcase beside the front door.

It was dark. Darn. He must have fallen asleep. I felt an electrical surge cackle in the air. Something I only felt when he was near me. I noticed his figure sitting on the couch in the living room, sitting in the dark. I locked up quickly and turned on the lights.

"Edward," I whispered just in case he was asleep. He had said that he couldn't sleep while I was gone. The back of his head wasn't resting on the couch so he seemed awake. I noticed movement. His arm came up and he took a drink from a vodka bottle.

What the hell?

"Edward?" I walked over to him to find him staring blankly at the wall behind me. His face was covered in stubble and his eyes looked red and bloodshot. I noticed one of his hands looked swollen.

My breathing hitched. What the fuck happened? I said his name again but he just took another drink from the bottle. I didn't dare get closer, because something in his eyes told me not to.

I walked slowly toward the hallway so I can make a call to Alice. Maybe she could tell me if something happened. I passed my office and it was in total destruction. My immediate reaction someone tried to break in and Edward fought them. I went to him immediately. I needed to make sure he was okay.

"Edward, baby." No response. I kneeled in front of him and said his name again. Nothing.

Oh God, what the hell happened? I walked back to my office, and I noticed his laptop on the floor on the screen was me. I recognized the video immediately. No! Not like this. I closed the door and was about to walk back to face him. He was already there in the hallway, pushing me against the wall.

"Welcome home, love," he whispered, his fingers gripping my shoulders with a feather light touch. His body however, was pressing hard against my own.

"Edward," I whispered, looking into his eyes. My Edward wasn't there. He'd been replaced by someone else, by someone angry. God, did he have a right to be angry.

"I missed you," he whispered in my ear. One of hands circled my throat, the other fisted at my shirt. I stifled a sob, because the truth had finally been revealed. I would lose this man forever. I went to my happy place, to a time where I knew he loved me.

* * *

**AN: It may look like something really bad is going to happen. I assure you that it's not the case. You'll see what happens in Bella's POV after the next chapter. **


	23. The Gala

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Three – The Gala**

* * *

**Edward**

Good god, why was my head pounding? I groaned and felt for Bella, but her side of the bed was empty and cold. I couldn't remember crap. Did I get to see her before I passed out drunk?

Wait, why was I drinking? I lay down on the bed, trying to clear everything in my head, running my hands through my hair roughly. My right hand throbbed. I held up in front of me and the memories of what I found out the previous night came rushing back to me like a wrecking ball.

I've been lied to, betrayed and fucking humiliated. All for what? I had no idea. There was only way to find out, through Bella. But I wasn't ready to face her just yet.

I wanted to fucking hurt her like she hurt me. It was my turn to act, my turn to pretend. For every time she told me she loved me, it was a carefully delivered line. Every time she whispered those three little words, they were a lie. Every time she kissed my lips, it was nothing more than a show. It was just another fucking scene.

The bitch deserves a fucking Oscar.

I got up from bed and found a glass of water and two Motrin. How fucking considerate. _She always looked out for you_, a part of me thought. The other thought, she probably charged more for the extra effort.

Since she wasn't in bed with me, I was left wondering if I said anything when she returned from her trip. I pulled off the sheets and noticed I was naked. I was still drawing a blank. I know I didn't clean up the mess I made in her office. _Her _office, I reminded myself. It was no longer was _our_ office. It never fucking was.

What the fuck was the point for them to hire her? To break my fucking heart? To force me to be a better person? Well whoopee-fucking-do; she succeeded. Now what?

After she told me, what the fuck did they think was going to happen? That I was going to go skipping off into the fucking sunset and stay a better person. Not even I buy that bullshit. All they did was solidify my need to remain detached.

Did my asshole ways really require for them to intervene this way?

"_Upon further research, I found a website where all the women that had been with him can exchange stories. The membership is three hundred twenty-three members strong and growing."_

Okay, so I had a little problem. But do this shit, was a little severe.

"_Son, Lily Reese, your former secretary is suing for sexual harassment."_

Maybe it wasn't so little. Fuck, I never felt guilty about my indiscretions. But the fact that my family was driven to this extreme made me see all that in a different light. However, it wasn't an excuse to cause me this kind of pain. And it hurt like hell

Because I loved her, I really loved her. _Fuck, I still do. _I couldn't think that way. They all hurt and mocked me, our relationship. I ran my hand through my hair, confused as fuck.

"_I love you, Edward. So damn much." _How many times had her say those words? All lies. The betrayal of my family hurt, but it didn't compare to the pain of knowing that she didn't love me.

She didn't love me as I loved her. The pain was indescribable, and she deserved the same pain. I could hear her in the kitchen and smell the French toast. I took my Motrin, ready to start my day. This day that would no doubt change everything. I was supposed to meet my Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper in an hour for a round of golf.

Should I pretend to them, too? Why the fuck not? They deserved just as much of the humiliation that I planned for Bella. I needed to run a few errands before the Gala if I wanted this to work.

Once I was dressed, I made my way out into the hallway, noticing the office door was locked. She had to have seen the destruction I had made of her office. No where the level of devastation she had caused my heart. Fuck. I ran a hand over the ache in my chest, wishing it would leave me. Made worse when I found her in the kitchen.

She was dressed unusually; her attire when she made breakfast was usually one of my t-shirts. It was my turn to put on an Oscar worthy performance. With her back was to me I wrapped my arms around her waist. She stiffened against me, a soft gasp escaped her. It almost felt like she was about to run.

What the fuck?

"Good morning, love," I whispered in her ear. She trembled, and the pain I felt was excruciating. "Sorry I missed you last night," I continued. She let the breath she held.

"I didn't want to wake you," she whispered, though it was barely audible.

I hummed and I kissed a sweetly scented spot behind her ear. "That's too bad. I would've loved giving you a proper homecoming." She trembled again and whimpered as if in pain. Guilt twisted in my gut. She had to know that the truth had been revealed. What happened the other night?

Despite my anger toward her, I still felt something when she was upset. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and removed the eggs from the frying pan and put them on two plates. I pulled away to set up where we usually ate at the snack bar area in the kitchen island. I grabbed two cups for coffee and grabbed some silverware.

"Your dress arrived while you were gone," I said. She hadn't bothered to respond as she plated a few items. "It's a gorgeous dress. That shade of blue will look great on you. So will the cut. Then again any excuse seeing you in a strapless anything –"

"I'm not wearing it," she interrupted.

"Why not?"

"I stumbled while I was gone and I have a bruise on my shoulder." I chuckled softly, whenever she was too preoccupied with something she'd bump into something. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. "Love, it's all right. I'll make sure you can wear the dress somewhere else." I tried to reassure her, though it was a lie.

It hurt to see her like that. She hurt, I hurt. I wasn't completely heartless, but I had to remain diligent. We ate breakfast in silence. There was a palpable tension in the air.

"Sorry about your office. I kind of lost it when my team lost." She nodded and refused to look at me. "Look at me Bella," I said firmly, placing a finger under her chin for her to look at me.

Her eyes were filled with something I couldn't decipher. No, I could. It was something I hadn't seen before in Bella. She was scared, of what I didn't know. Did I say something to her last night? I searched my memory and I couldn't grasp on anything, except that I whispered that I missed her. Did she fear what would happen to us? But why? It wasn't fucking real! Rage and pain coursed through me, taking every ounce of my control to keep myself together.

_God damn it, why don't you love me?_

"You're going to be late," she said, averting her eyes.

It was then that I noticed something different about her face. "Are you wearing foundation?" She nodded. "You never use foundation. Your skin is flawless."

"I didn't get much sleep while I was gone," she replied almost robotically. "I needed to cover up the, um, bruising under my eyes."

I nodded in understanding. It was just another scene. As if she'd lose sleep over a subject. Why because I was a fucking subject. I was nothing more to her.

_You fucking idiot, she lost sleep over Daniel. Why not you?_ Fucking hell, there was still a part of me that wanted to believe in her, in us.

"I better get going." I rose to my feet and I placed a kiss on her soft lips.

I almost lost it then. Why did it hurt to kiss her? I pulled away, noticing tears trailing down her cheeks. I averted my eyes. I couldn't see her in pain, because my resolve would crumble. I'd forgive her. I whispered a fleeting good-bye and ran out the door.

I swear I heard her let out a strangled cry. I'm sure it was just another scene. Why was she pretending that she didn't know that I knew? She could easily put an end to the whole fucking charade.

~oOo~

For the whole game with my family, I pretended that everything was perfect. I laughed and joked around with them, as if it was any other day, but it wasn't. I barely managed to get through it. At one point I wanted to hit Carlisle. He kept teasing me about Bella's panties and the incident at the office. I hadn't helped that Emmett joined him. Jasper seemed to have noticed my discomfort but never said anything. He had always been a perceptive fucker.

Shortly after leaving them at the club, I made my way to the jewelry store. There I bought a lovely pair of diamond earrings for my Bella. It was the least she deserved. I was properly fucked and satisfied the whole time. I might as well pay her well for it.

Then again I'm sure her services had to have cost my family her weight in gold. God, who knows how much she charged for a blow job? Maybe I should've grabbed a tennis bracelet, too_._

While I was gone, Bella called to tell that my tux was waiting at my place. And that Alice was coming to help her get ready.

It was almost five o'clock, and we were supposed to make our appearances in about an hour. I made my way to Bella's apartment, and I pulled her car out of the garage to park in front of her building. She still wasn't capable of walking into the garage. Not that I blamed her on that, I still saw Daniel's bloodied corpse with Bella crying over it.

Damn, the pain etched on her face after that incident was real. So fucking real. A thread of doubt started to form at the back of my mind. The look in her eyes during breakfast was close to devastation in her eyes after Daniel killed himself. What the fuck could that mean?

On the ride up to her apartment, I mentally prepared myself for the onslaught of emotions that I would experience for the rest of the night. I had to remain strong. My family and Bella wouldn't get away with what they've done.

_You're willing to hurt her and risk everything she'd ever worked for. After you promised not to. _I took a few deep breathes trying to ignore the constant nagging in the back of my mind that what I was going to do was wrong. I looked up and saw my reflection in the stainless steel of the door.

Who was that man that reflected back at me? I was so fucking confused. I had to be strong.

I was about to knock on the door but thought better of it. Technically, I lived there. I walked right in since the door was unlocked. God, hadn't my girl learned anything. I shook the thought from my head. I didn't need to go _there_ or I'd never leave.

When I walked into the hallway, I was surprised to find the office in perfect order. Everything was in its place like I hadn't torn through it. I tried to make sense of this. Why hadn't she called? What the fuck kind of game was she playing?

I heard a sob from the bedroom. Why was she crying? I stood just outside the door, confusion and pain racked throughout my body and mind. If she knew that I knew and it wasn't real, then why was she prolonging the inevitable? What was she waiting for?

_She loves you, she's hurting, and she's confused. _Fuck! I had to remain strong and ignore the part me that wanted to believe in her and us. She must have heard me come in and was playing another scene. It was the only explanation that made sense.

"My love, are you ready?" I hesitated to open the door, afraid of what I'd find.

"Um, I'll be right there," she said from inside the closet.

"Did Alice leave already?" The bedroom was in utter chaos, clothes were strewn everywhere. Did she lose something?

"She didn't come over," she said, her voice muffled since she had closed the door. .

"Why?"

"I needed time to... Um, run a few errands. I didn't want to spend hours playing Barbie Bella."

I chuckled, internally rolling my eyes. That was my sister's favorite hobby aside from shopping. "Did you get a new dress?" I asked, seeing the blue strapless gown on the bed.

"Yes," she said, slightly out of breath.

"Do you need a hand?" I asked, walking toward the closet.

"No!" she screamed. "Sorry, I'm done already." When she stepped out of the closet, my breath hitched. She looked breathtaking. Clad in a beautiful black strapless dress with a delicate sweetheart neckline that cinched on her left side above her waist, the fabric cascaded to the floor.

Over her lovely dress was a long-sleeve black jacket that seemed made of tulle and velvet that was beaded and was appropriately frilly. Her hair was piled elegantly on her head with tendrils framing her face. All black, which was strange for Bella.

She walked past me to sit on the bed so that she could put on her heels. "Let me help you with those," I said as I took her heels from her hands, instantly feeling the small electrical charge.

_Why don't you love me? _

"Don't touch me," she whispered, but didn't look up at me. This was it.

"Bella," I said, taking another step toward her. Her head snapped up and glared.

"Let's get this over with," she snapped, grabbing a black sequin clutch. She brushed past me, but before she could get away I grabbed her arm. "Let me go," she growled. I glared at her, mentally daring her to say it again. She pulled her arm out of my grip and rubbed her arm. "I have enough bruises there." She turned to leave the bedroom and I was hot on her heels.

"I thought you said your bruise was on your shoulder," I countered. Was she lying about something as simple as that, too?

She turned to me and I could see that she was seething. _Give it to me, baby. Let's do this here and now. _"You seriously don't fucking remember last night, do you?" I shook my head, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Her eyes closed, her jaw clenched tight. She took a few deep breaths before she slowly opened her eyes.

"We're going to the Gala and make our appearance. After that I guess it's time to have the discussion _you've _been putting off." I glared at her. So now this was my fault. How fucking _dare_ she? "You promised not to hurt my project if anything should happen to us," she whispered, her gaze boring into mine.

"So another scene except everyone else is the audience and not just me?" I said asking for clarification.

She shook her head and shrugged. "If that's what you want to believe then yes."

"It is." After a moment she nodded, squared her shoulders and held her chin high.

"Come on, champ," she said easily. "It's time to get this show on the road." The Oscar worthy actress was ready for her next big scene. I was game. We could both pretend. We'd done it before.

I held out my arm and she took it without a trace of discomfort. Damn she was good. And damn, I still wanted her.

The drive to the Gala was filled with small talk and sense of peace had washed over me, if only for a few hours. Again, we were both pretending. It was nothing new for her. She had been doing it since she met me. She had lots of practice. I kept stealing glances at her as I drove, and occasionally the careful façade she constructed would topple over. Wiping at tears that I didn't understand the point of them would be. Why was she in pain?

Twenty minutes later we arrived, and I helped her out of her car, taking her dainty hand in my own. Cameras flashed everywhere, and though we'd several public appearances before, this was one of our most publicized.

I pulled Bella closer to me and wrapped an arm around her waist. She stiffened for a moment; long enough to make the pain I felt earlier ache anew. When she tried to pull away, I held onto her tightly, causing her to wince. I looked at her in question, but she shook her head.

We were led to our table, where my family waited along with Jordan and Julie. Bella pulled away from my side and went to greet her brother. He laughed and _stood up_. She gasped and wrapped her arms around her brother and started to sob uncontrollably.

"Bells, calm down!" Jordan said, trying to console her.

"It's too…mu…ch," she gasped, her words choked and broken with emotion. He looked at me for help, and since it wasn't the right time to create a scene, I helped him out, taking her hand. I pulled her away from her brother and pulled her to my side. Slowly, we made our way through groups of people and walked out of the banquet hall.

"You need to pull yourself together," I snapped, whipping her around to face me.

Her facial expression was one of pain. _No one is that good, _I thought. "I'm fine," she snarled under her breath.

"Falling and sobbing all over your brother is hardly fine," I hissed back.

"Sorry that I have a lot to deal with lately. It's all a little too much right now. Remember you, near death experience, and washing blood off my body?"

"You've used that excuse already, sweetheart."

She slapped me. It fucking stung, though incomparable to the pain in my heart. Her chest rose and fell with harsh breath she took. She turned to leave, but I grabbed her by her shoulder, causing the jacket to slip off slightly.

Below the hairline was a purplish bruise than ran across the nape of her neck. It was less than a few centimeters thick, as if her necklace was forcibly ripped from her. Quickly, I removed my hand, as a flash from my memory hit me. I was pressed up against Bella in the hallway and wrapped my hand around her throat. And then I moved her head to kiss her neck, as my fingers followed the path of her necklace. At the end, where my mother's ring laid, my fingers curled around the ring…and I…oh God.

"Coming back to you?" she asked sarcastically, cocking an eyebrow and fixing her jacket. "Now come darling, it's time to put up that Bachelor of the Year persona."

I glared at her and she returned it. I led her by the small of her back to the table and we took our seats. Soon, Bella, her brother, and Julie were talking about Jordan's rehabilitation. I idly wondered if he knew that his sister fucked guys for a living.

Even though the anger was deeply rooted in my soul, I couldn't help pretending to be happy with her. We played our parts well. At least she was. I wasn't playing; I really wanted it to be real.

To be sitting here by her laughing and enjoying each other's company. I loved the feel her hand on my shoulder when she laughed beautifully at some stupid joke Emmett told. I enjoyed the habit she had of trying to keep my hair out of my eyes.

She laughed while running her fingers through my hair trying to get it to cooperate since Emmett said that I looked like a cockatiel. Why was she torturing me like that? She knew what that shit did to me. How much it made me want her.

She noticed my pained expression and stopped playing with my hair. Soft hands trailed from my hair to rest on my cheeks. Her eyes were soft and warm, the gold flecks calling to me. _Do you love me?_ I asked internally.

I wanted to ask her, but I was afraid of the answer.

She placed a soft, lingering kiss on my lips, causing me to groan softly. Damn you, I love you. I wanted to push her away, but at the same time I wanted to pull her closer. My heart and mind were in a constant battle.

That battle was lost to my heart as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear, "It's me, Edward." Her breath fanned down my neck, and I tightened my grip around her. "It's been me for a long time now." I trembled against her.

I turned my head to whisper in her ear. "How can I separate the lies from the truth?"

"You need to listen and to see."

I pulled back and looked into her eyes. She looked sincere. No! It was just an act. I scowled at her and her face looked pained. It was just an act.

"_Trust me Edward, I'm a good actress."_

I stood up and excused myself from the table, walking outside into the night air. I was so fucking confused. _She's trying to tell you she loves you. _Why did I still believe in her? No, no, no! I tried to fight it.

I really did. I wanted her. I loved her. I hated her. How could she do this to me? Why me? I love her. I loved her with everything I was. _I love her and I can't let her go._

I could hear my mother and Bella give their speeches. I should be there to support her. My resolve was crumbling. I knew I'd hear what she had to tell me, hear everything.

"Edward," a familiar voice said behind me.

I took a deep breath to calm down. "Jordan," I said, turning to face him. He was rolled closer to me just within reach of the light from some overhead lighting.

"Bella missed you in there, is something wrong?"

I sighed. "Can you tell when Bella lies?"

Jordan laughed. "When Bella was little, she stuttered and blushed when she tried to lie."

"And now?"

"Edward, I'm not sure why this important, but if she's not telling you something, she has a good reason." Not even her brother would know if she lied.

"Can you tell me if Bella's been different since she met me?"

"Well yeah. Don't get me wrong, she _acted_ happy for a long time after Brianna's and my parents' death. But I _know_ she's not acting with you." He had no clue about her subjects. He was completely oblivious. "Did something happen for you to question her trust?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Don't even think that she'd cheat on you. 'Cause I knock all the straight teeth right out of your mouth," Jordan growled. I shook my head. "One thing you have to know about Bella is _everything_ she does, she does for a reason. If she caused you pain, I feel for you. But she'd never cheat on you."

"I didn't mean to imply that, Jordan."

"Then what is it, Edward?"

"I just don't know if she really loves me, like I love her."

"You really deserve the misery you are in if you can't tell that she loves you. Shit, she'd probably marry you, if you asked her." A sob almost escaped from within my chest, though I didn't think he had heard me.

Jordan left me to my self-loathing before indicating he and Julie were leaving early. My thoughts then turned to the night before. I had hurt her, but I couldn't remember anything past tearing the necklace from her neck. However, her words of bruises made me believe that I'd done more.

I hurt her. Oh god, I hurt her. My resolve was crumbling. If she really wanted me, I'd forgive her. If she'd forgive me. I loved her too much to let her go.

I walked back into the banquet hall that had transformed since I left. Most of the tables had been gathered along the edges of the dance floor. I scanned the room until they fell upon Bella. She was surrounded by my family and Jacob and Nessie. There were a few faces I hadn't expected to see. Mike from the club, and the doctor that treated her when Tanya hurt her. Mike seemed to know Nessie and Bella.

Fuck. He'd been a subject and she used him to make me jealous. And just like that, the wall was rebuilt. My resolve was firmly planted back into place.

My anger quickly built, but I pushed it down, because I had a role to play. Ignoring Mike and some curly haired brunette, I made my way to Bella's die. They stared at me, because they knew I knew.

"My love," I said as I placed my hand on her cheek. I sat in a chair beside her, turning hers toward me. I smiled. "I bought you something today."

She looked at me confused for a moment, but quickly composed herself and smiled. "You know I don't like surprises," she whispered.

"Don't be ridiculous, you deserve it." I pulled out the red leather Cartier box, she knew it wasn't my mother's ring but she was curious. "I saw these and I knew they had to be yours." I opened the box and Bella gasped when she saw the brilliance of the diamonds.

"Beautiful aren't they?" I smiled and pulled an earring out, placing on her ear. My family looked confused, as I expected. However, Bella seemed more attuned to the storm that brewed inside me. So fucking perceptive; yet another of her beguiling gifts.

After placing the second earrings in its proper place, I pulled back to admire their beauty. The top of the babbles consisted of three half karat pear shaped diamonds that clustered around a full karat round diamond, ending in a one-point-five karat pear diamond, dangling, as like teardrops.

I felt the other crowd around, but I paid little attention to them. They could feel the tension in the air. They knew something was going to happen.

Against my will, my thumb brushed her lush lips. Her face, composed but the exaggerated rise and fall of her chest told me otherwise. She was far from composed. _Do you love me?_

"They look beautiful on you, my love." I paused for a moment. "Now you can think of me when they press against your skin when you _fuck_ your next subject."

There was a collective gasp around us and quite possibly from other tables. My father grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "This is hardly the place to handle this, Edward," he said in a rushed whisper.

"Frankly, I think this is the perfect place for this, Carlisle," I hissed, pulling from his grasp. Without a word, Bella stood up and walked hurriedly across the hall and out two doors. I followed closely, my family on my heels. They wanted front row seats.

First, I'd deal with her, and then I'd deal with them. Pacing in the hallway, Bella wrapped her around her chest.

"Isn't this how it works, Bella?" I asked. "I find out and I'm instantly a better person."

She slapped me. "You humiliated me in there! You just put the foundation in a scandal and I'm pretty fucking sure I'll lose my license."

"I don't give a fuck!" I roared inches from her face. Nose to nose, mutually fiery glares.

She slapped me again. "It wasn't enough that you chose not to listen to me for months. It wasn't enough that you refused to give me a chance to speak with you last night. It wasn't enough that hurt me last night." As if by reflex, she touched the scar at the back of her neck. I stilled, hating myself for that, hating her for reminding me. I heard Jasper curse and someone restraining him.

"No you just had to plunge the knife and twist it and destroy everything I've worked for!"

"How much did you charge them?" I asked, my words ragged as my breath.

Bella crossed her arms. "My fee was fifteen thousand a month, plus expenses."

"That's forty-five thousand dollars or did you give them a discount when we were apart those two weeks?"

She tried to slap me again, but this time I caught her by the wrist. More bruises, similar to those whenever I held her hands above her head when we had sex. Emmett was on me in a second, tearing me away from her and stood in front of me, pushing me further back. I looked past him.

"You know with all the fucking we did, baby," I spat, trying to get to her. "You should've charged them at least two hundred thousand. It's a good thing I bought you the earrings. At least you'll walk away ahead." Emmett growled and pushed me with two hands.

"Edward, she returned every dollar!" Alice screamed.

"That's enough, Edward," Carlisle said through clenched teeth. Esme held her face in her hands.

I laughed. "And I'm supposed to believe you. I'm supposed to believe that…what she really fell in love with me and returned the money."

"That's exactly what happened, Edward," Emmett said tiredly.

I laughed again, shaking my head in disbelief. Why were they still playing the fucking game? "I'm supposed to believe that she loves me?"

"If I didn't love you, I would've walked away when you did after I was poisoned," Bella whispered.

"You needed me for comfort!" I regretted my words instantly, she never wished Daniel dead. Even with the truth in front of me, I couldn't regret being there for her after he died. Rosalie and Alice rushed to Bella's side.

Bella sobbed and trembled, shaking her head. "If I didn't love you with all that I am, I wouldn't have said yes and let you have me last night, not like that at least."

Emmett, Carlisle and Jasper's head all snapped to look at her. I stilled again, as an icy fire clenched around my heart. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She stepped away from Rosalie's embrace, letting her jacket pool at her feet. Esme gasped behind me. Her arms were riddled with thin bruises from…my fingers. Another memory hit me. My hands tight around her arms, like vices. A wave of nausea hit me.

She turned her back from us and lowered the back zipper of her dress, revealing bruises along her ribs and lower back. Bile started to crawl up my throat. A laugh, dark and rich, she whispered, "I'm sure you have some of your own. I let you, but neither of us were gentle last night."

"Why…why would you…why didn't you…fight…" I gasped and stumbled backward.

"Get me out of here," she cried out. "Get me out of here!" She screamed, clutching at her stomach. Rosalie and Alice caught her just before she collapsed. The look on her face…I'd seen it before. It was the same face, lost and so broken, the one on the video when her father carried her from the scene of Brianna's death. I didn't understand. It hadn't been real.

Esme ran past me to help with Bella. From head to toe, her body shook, sobs heard so clear as they wrapped her jacket around her.

"Bella!" I cried out, reaching for something that seemed unattainable. I needed to follow her, because I needed to understand.

"You're not going anywhere," Jasper growled as his fist hit me square in the jaw. The pain in my chest hurt much more than the pain along my jaw. I stumbled and let the darkness take me. Once again cast into the abyss where I'd never be able to reach her again.

The problem, I had no idea if I wanted to.

**AN: Again, not rape. This night, and the night before in Bella's POV is next. **


	24. Black

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Four – Black**

* * *

**Bella**

My memories lured me to a couple of days before. To when he told me he loved me, and to the place where my heart thought his love was unconditional.

One of his hands curled around my neck, but he didn't apply any pressure, just a ghost of his former touches. He'd taken a hold of my chin, angling it so he'd have access to my neck. His nose grazed slowly along my jawline and neck, his fingers gliding over my necklace. Long, warm fingers curled around them, scratching me lightly in between my breasts.

I gasped as he wrenched the necklace from me, cutting into my skin. He tossed the necklace aside, but wore the ring on the tip of his forefinger. Of course, I hadn't deserved to wear the ring. It'd been the one material object that symbolized his love for me.

I deserved this, his anger. I knew it would be great. My selfish need to be with me kept me from telling him the truth. My need and desire for him to love me instead of hate me. For this, my betrayal, he'd hate me. I hated myself for causing him the pain so evident in his eyes.

I blurred the line between love and hate. For the first time in years, I questioned what he could possibly be thinking at this moment. To have found out that the woman he loved hurt him.

My breaths, broken and erratic, caused the pain in my chest to heighten. In his eyes were filled with so many conflicting feelings. My eyes started to sting with tears, and suddenly, the anger in his eyes was replaced with something else, sadness. It was painful to see.

His eyes remained on mine as laid his forehead on mine. "Love me," he whispered.

I trembled but I never took my eyes off of him. I answered honestly, "Always."

"Marry me," he gasped, laying open-mouthed kisses on my collarbone. Twisting the ring from his finger, he placed on mine.

"In a heartbeat," I murmured, moaning as he bit into my neck.

For a moment, my heart soared with the thought that he still wanted me. Then my mind crippled my heart, reminding me that there was a good chance he wouldn't remember what happened. The almost empty bottle of vodka would likely hinder his memory.

His hands trembled as they brushed over my hands and arms. Then I sensed the sudden change in his demeanor, his body stiffened, and his hands on my arms tightened to the point of bruising. An almost cold-hearted look of anger clouded his eyes, hardening his gaze.

"Well that little performance just won you a Golden Globe, honey," he sneered, biting down on my neck, hard. Fuck! I couldn't let him do this to me, but I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He was in pain, I deserved the pain. I needed to feel him one more time. However, he needed to understand despite the truth I loved him.

I dropped my right shoulder and turned in toward my chest, pushing him hard against the adjacent wall. He winced and hissed in pain but his eyes remained on my own. His hold on me tightened.

"Do you think this isn't real?" I hissed. "Do you honestly believe that I never loved you?" His gazed moved from mine, lingering on my lips. When his did the same, I knew what he wanted. Fuck, I needed it, too.

I needed to feel him one more time. I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve him, because I hurt him. And when he hurt, I hurt. The pain, crushing and all encompassing fed on what was left of my sanity. I needed to feel him one more time. _One more time _I repeated in my mind like a mantra.

Hungrily, I pressed my mouth on his, biting his bottom lip. He groaned and parted his lips invitation. Taking my face in his hands, his fingers splayed across my cheeks, holding on to me for dear life. Fingers dug into my skin, it hurt but I didn't care. I needed to feel him.

He pulled away, gasping for breath, his eyes bore into mine. There was something he found something because he kissed me with renewed vigor. His lips ghosted over mine, trembling.

"I need to feel _something_ was real," he whispered, his fingers still had their vise like grip on my face.

"I lo –"

However, he didn't let me finish. The moment the words had come from my mouth, he'd taken my mouth to stop them. His hands moved from my cheeks, gliding over my neck until he grasped my arms again. He pushed me once again against the wall behind me.

"Not that, Bella," he said gravely, hoarsely. God, I could hear the pain in his voice. "I can't hear that right now."

I nodded and he dipped his head to devour my lips. My blouse, torn open, tossed aside just as quickly. Fingers and palms gripped my hips hard, his erection ground against me.

I moaned, causing him to hiss, "Do you really like that?"

"Yes," I gasped. Our hands fumbled for the buttons on our jeans. Urgent need and hand that trembled had us scrambling.

"How do I know?" he asked as he tossed our jeans aside

"Look, listen, and feel," I answered. Skin on skin, his hands grabbed my ass almost painfully. It didn't matter, needed to feel him completely. _One last time,_ I told myself. Tugging on his hair, I moaned into our kiss. Seconds passed before I felt the sting of my panties torn away from me.

"What am I supposed to feel now Bella?" His words barely audible to my own ear yet carried so much emotion.

"Angry and confused … Mostly angry," I answered. My hands dove under his button down shirt, forcing him to pull it over his head. Impatient to feel more of his skin, I tore at his shirt. Buttons scattered across the floor as I dragged the shirt down his shoulders instead.

His hand found purchase under each of my knees, hitching my legs on his hips. Delicious friction I felt as he ground against me, friction I longed for one last time. Not that I deserved it.

"I'm…hurt," he gasped as his lips descended down my neck to my left breast. On the soft swell of my breast, he bit down, soothing the area after with his tongue.

"I know, but I do l…" I trailed off and screamed when he bit down hard. Shit!

"Don't say that when you don't mean it!" he growled against my skin. Taking my sore nipple back into his warm mouth, I hissed.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!" I snapped back. Stumbling backward as I pushed him, he landed on his ass. I rubbed at the marks he already put on me. The look of anger and pain spoke volumes; he knew he pushed too far. I walked into the bedroom ready to slam the door behind me. If it was over, so be it. Maybe he'd be in a better state of mind to listen to what I had to say.

Before the door could close fully, his hand stopped me. "There you go again. How the hell do I know if anything that comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours is fucking real?" Pulling me in his arms, he slammed me against the door, effectively closing it.

"You won't let me say how I really feel about you," I hissed. "So I'm telling you what we both really want to believe."

"And what exactly, do you think I want believe?" His hands gripped my shoulders and I held his arms firmly.

"That this is just a horrible nightmare we both want to wake up from," I whispered, looking at the flash of pain fill his eyes. He closed his eyes and blocked my only access into his mind. He took a few short breaths before opening his eyes again.

"Don't leave me." His eyes filled with fear and pain.

"I'll always be with _you._"

"Don't leave me," he repeated. I shook my head. "Is what I feel for you… what you feel for me?" he whispered as he leaned down and captured my lips in a frenzied kiss.

I knew he wasn't ready for me to tell him I loved him. So answered the best way I could. "I do." His eyes intensified at my words, he seemed to believe me. I sighed as he lifted me by my ass and slid slowly inside me. We both groaned as he pulled back to slam back inside me.

"This discussion…is far…from…over," he said in between breaths as he pounded into me relentlessly.

"I know."

~oOo~

Sunlight filtered from the window, quietly reminding me that I had to get up to face the music. I kept my eyes closed and prayed that the previous night was a fucking nightmare. And that he hadn't found out in the worst way.

Reality crawled back into my mind. And considering how my body ached, everything had happened. I heard him groan beside me his arm draped over my hip, his head planted at his usual place, on my chest. For a moment, I smiled that I could be close to him. But the look of his face was anything but peaceful.

Usually when I awoke early, I loved to watch him sleep. His face was always so relaxed. But this morning, his facial expression was different. The corners of his lips were turned down, his eyes seemed as if they were scrunched in pain and his brows were furrowed.

I sighed softly and wanted to desperately to take his pain away. My fingers ran through his hair, coaxing another groan from his mouth. He turned to his side and whispered my name. It was a cry. _God, what have we done to this man?_

I wanted to stay in bed with him a little longer. That was my intention until I noticed my arm. My eyes almost popped out of my head. Oh my God. I had bruises all over my arms. Bruises from his firm hold on me littered my whole body, my ribs, my waist, my hips and my thighs.

_If he saw this_…I threw the sheet off my body ready to jump into something before he awoke. He'd only punish himself, because he always had when he was too rough. However, I asked for him the previous night for more and harder. And each time he delivered. We both needed to feel each other last night. And in that urgency, we just held on to one another too strongly.

As I pulled away from him, I noticed his back. His usually pale expanse of his strong back was marred by a large reddish purplish bruise on his lower back. There were also distinct round bruises on each cheek of his ass from my heels of my feet. Ouch.

Careful not to wake him, I slowly climbed out of bed. I swept the sheet over his naked body and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. _Please remember, baby. _If he remembered what was said the night before, then there was hope. I knew our troubles weren't over, but it was a very small start.

With a long sleeve sweater and jeans, I walked into the bathroom. My reflection had me doing a double-take. _How the hell do I cover that up? _Under my eyes, along the apples of my cheeks were light bruises, from his thumbs. Shit. There were three more along my jaw on each side.

I quickly took a shower and put makeup and did my best to cover up the evidence of what happened last night. I knew everyone would jump to the wrong conclusions if they saw bruises on my face.

After I brushed my teeth and hair, I crept quietly into the hallway and picked up our clothing from the floor. I went into the office and picked up his laptop where it landed across the room. It was a good thing that it was one of those heavy duty ones he used when he visited construction sites. It was still working. I found his charger and plugged it in. I needed to know what he'd seen.

Surely he wouldn't have asked me to marry him again, if he hadn't seen that I closed his file after we returned from the falls. The daily logs would've showed him how I fell in love with him. I clicked on the files on the CD and thankfully it was still working. I found the necessary logs and found that he read through his main file and opened several photos. I checked the daily log videos and found that he only watched the first two videos.

Shit. He hadn't even seen any of the videos past my initial analysis of him.

I ran out of the office careful to lock it, checking on him and he was still sleeping, though it seemed fitful. The sheets were tangled over his body. I left a glass of water and two Motrin on the bedside table.

I walked into the kitchen intent on making a good breakfast. When I heard him moving around in the apartment, I made no attempt to call out to him. He had to make the first move. I had no idea what he remembered. I had no idea how we would feel about what he learned.

I felt him near me and I waited with bated breath for what may come. His arms wrapped my waist. I instantly stiffened against him, unsure of his intentions. After taking a cleansing breath, his freshly showered scent all around me, I tried to calm my frantic heart rate. Was he leaving me?

"Good morning, love," he whispered in my ear. I trembled; his voice didn't sound strained. "Sorry I missed you last night," he continued to whisper fanning his breath along my neck.

I let out a breath I was unaware I was holding. _Oh, God. He doesn't remember._

~oOo~

I had played along during breakfast, answering questions. Angry and deeply saddened that he'd forgotten everything from the previous night. Worse, I knew he knew and vice-versa. I had no idea the game he planned on playing, but I would not end this first.

I wanted to scream, to cry, to kiss him and for him to love me still. Despite the pain I undoubtedly caused him. Correction the pain I was still causing him. It was so fucking obvious in his stilled conversation and in his eyes. There was underlying hint of anger, pain in their depths. Though throughout breakfast there were moments that his eyes softened, it was gone in a flash. He was fighting, an internal struggle between his mind and heart.

When I had to lie about why I couldn't wear the dress, I hated myself. From the moment I knew my feelings were more than attraction, I had promised myself I wouldn't lie to him. With the truth exposed merely hours earlier, and I had already lied.

It hit me then, that there would be no more kisses, no more dances. No more holding each other. Not after this. The rest of breakfast was eaten silence, a heavy, palpable tension in the air around us.

"I better get going." He got up and rinsed his plate and cups, then placed a kiss on my lips. I couldn't help the tears that escaped me. They had been threatening to spill over since he walked into the kitchen. He pulled away averting his eyes, whispering a good-bye and running out the door.

I sobbed and let out a strangled cry, my knees hitting the floor as the door closed behind him. I wasn't aware of how long I laid on the floor, but I heard my cell phone ringing over and over again.

I had to pull myself together, because I had a responsibility to the foundation. When the phone rang again, I checked the caller ID, Sharon. I quickly answered, praying she hadn't slipped further into her depression since Daniel's death.

"Sharon?" I said like a question. I had been working with her for a few weeks and had recommended a therapist, but she preferred me.

"Dr. Swan, I know you're busy today but I was wondering…if you can –" she seemed nervous.

"You know I can't prescribe anything, right?" I asked. She had declined medication the last time we had a session with a colleague of mine, claiming that talking was helping.

"I need something to make me feel a little more like myself. But can you recommend something natural?"

"Take your regular vitamins and take some St. John's Wort," I recommended.

"Okay, I'll look for that at the pharmacy. Thank you, Bella. Good luck tonight."

"Thank you, Sharon."

"Oh wait, does St. John's Wort interact with any medications?"

My mind wandered for a moment. Then I remembered, and the phone fell from my trembling hand. Oh God.

~oOo~

After refusing Alice's help to get ready, I set out to search for the perfect dress. I knew she could help me without me having to explain the bruises from our love making. She wouldn't understand our mutual need. However, I had her take some of Edward's things, including his tux, his apartment.

I chose a new black dress from my closet, but it needed a jacket. With my dress in hand, I went to find something fitting for the evening and my mood. However, I had to make a stop before shopping. A stop at the local pharmacy, and once I made my purchase, I stashed it in my purse. I'd have time later.

I called Edward to let him know that his tux was waiting for him at his apartment. I had hoped that he remembered something about what had occurred the previous night, but his clipped answered indicated that he was upset.

He fucking forgot or he was pretending he had, if so, why?

~oOo~

"Here you go Miss," the saleswoman said, "This is the new Oscar de la Renta."

She handed me a beautiful floor length jacket made of tulle and velvet that had beading along the sheer sleeves. When she tried to remove my current jacket, I pulled the jacket from her and walked back into the dressing room.

I removed my jacket I'd worn over my dress, noticing the bruises that littered my arms. I had no choice but to cover up. The jacket the saleswoman chose was the perfect fit; it covered up my arms and shielded me from the storm front that I knew would be coming.

I walked out of the dressing room and made my way to the three way mirror. The saleswoman told me about the jacket. I bit back a gasp when she told me the price. I told myself, I would triple the amount and donate it to the foundation.

"You look beautiful, Miss." She seemed sincere so I kept my mouth shut. My mood was as black as my clothing. "May I ask where you're wearing this?"

"A funeral," I whispered, my voice laced with pain. I tried to stop the stinging in my eyes, but I couldn't hold on anymore. I knew the end was coming, and I would lose him.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Who's?" she asked genuinely concerned.

Tears slipped from my eyes as I answered, "My own heart."

~oOo~

I made it back the apartment a little before two in the afternoon with my purchases. I cleaned up the kitchen, and the bedroom. It had taken almost an hour to straighten out the office and put everything in its place, including the picture he destroyed. The picture remained remarkably unscathed.

I replaced the frame and put it back on the desk. I took his file from his laptop and wrote on the surface. _Look – See – Listen. _Once done, I placed it back in the computer.

Hopefully if I couldn't convince him that I really loved him, he'd watch this and know.

Once my makeup and hair was ready, I made my way to the closet to dress. Edward would be here soon, and I wanted to be covered up before he arrived. It was almost five o'clock and we were supposed to make our appearances in an hour.

I pulled off my robe and slid my dress on, but I had trouble zippering up. It was then that I noticed my ring missing. _No! God no!_ I frantically started to look throughout the room, remembering that I had it after I showered. The bathroom, I thought.

I went through the hamper and every nook and cranny, but there was nothing. How was I supposed to the tell someone that probably didn't believe I loved him that I lost the ring he'd given me?

Thankfully I found it under my dress, nearly sobbing with relief when it was back in my possession.

It was then I heard him in the hallway. My breathing hitched. I still had no idea what he remembered. I ran into my closet to grab my jacket. I remained quiet, finally managing to get into my dress and jacket.

"My love, are you ready?" I noticed hesitation in his voice.

The next several minutes proved to very difficult. In the sense that I had no idea what to expect from him, but the coldness I saw in his eyes was a clear warning of the approaching storm. _Why are you pretending? _

When he tried to offer his assistance, I overreacted. I hadn't been ready to face him. I was angry, at myself and that he seemed to forget everything. And he was playing some fucked up game. I hadn't looked at him when I stepped out of the closet. If I had looked into his eyes, I knew my composure would crumble. I had a pair of heels that I tried to put on while holding onto the bed post.

"Let me help you with those," he said closing the distance between us. He took my heels from me. His hand brushed mine and our electrical charge that we shared whenever we touched reminded me of what I was about to lose.

Why was he still pretending? He obviously didn't start drinking until after he found the disk. So those memories should be intact. What the _fuck_ was he waiting for?

"Don't touch me," I whispered, his touch was something I couldn't stand right now.

He looked at me. A flash of anger passed in his eyes. This was it, but it wasn't the time.

I took my heels back and sat on the bed and put them on. I thought to myself, _I love you. I'm sorry. I need you. Don't leave me._ I repeated the four statements in my mind over and over again.

"Bella," he said my name taking a step closer to me. I glared at him, because I had no idea what his intentions were, but I could see something brewing under his cool demeanor. It was the same mask he wore before he left me after I was poisoned.

"Let's get this over with," I snapped, grabbing a black sequin clutch. I brushed past him, when he grabbed my arm. "Let me go." He glared at me in an attempt to intimidate me. I knew then that he knew about the file. He remembered, and he was waiting for the right moment to strike me down.

In that moment, I wanted to force him to remember. Remind him of what we'd said to each other in bed the previous night. "I have enough bruises there." I walked out of the bedroom with him hot on my heels.

"I thought you said your bruise was on your shoulder."

Fucking asshole he remembered everything except what we talked about. And the fact that he pretty much asked me to marry him. I was pissed. I was tired of this shit. I wanted it over with. "You seriously don't fucking remember last night, do you?"

He shook his head.

I closed my eyes. _Damn it! Fuck. What the hell do I do_?

I had to make a fucking appearance to about five hundred people, who paid ten thousand dollars a plate for the foundation. I was the face of the foundation and it meant the world to me. However, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it after a confrontation with Edward. I clenched my jaw and fists, trying to calm myself down. After a while my breathing returned to normal, and I opened my eyes to find him staring at me.

"We're going to the Gala and make our appearance and after I guess it's time to have the discussion you've been putting off." He glared at me. He was pissed that I chose to turn this around on him. I hadn't cared at that point.

"You promised not to hurt my project if anything should happen to us," I whispered, my eyes searched his for a rebuttal.

"So another scene, except everyone else is the audience and not just me?"

I knew that this is what he would think. I should've prepared myself for his reaction better. I hadn't, because I wanted to believe that everything would work out between us.

"If that's what you want to believe then yes." It hurt that he hadn't believed the thousands of times I'd told him I loved him. He nodded and so had I. I took a deep breath, closing the distance between us.

"Come on, champ," I said. It felt like the day after he had driven me home from the hospital months ago. We were pretending. "It's time to get this show on the road."

We made it to the Gala about twenty minutes later. The ride was filled with small talk about his golf game and my dress. I kept my eyes away from his, because I couldn't look at him. There were times that I could feel his eyes on me when I looked out the window. It reflected my face, and the pain was not so easily hidden.

When Edward held me close when arrived, it was too much. It was too close. The pain my chest was growing more and more. His touches only reminded me of what I was about to lose. I tried to pull away but he held me tighter, I winced. The bruised along the sides of my body hurt. He looked at me questioningly, but I shook my head. It wasn't the time to deal with everything.

We were led to our table, where my family waited along with Edward's family. I pulled away from Edward and went to greet Julie and Jordan. Julie had a very big smile on her face and I wondered why.

Before I had a chance to ask, my brother laughed and stood up. I sucked in a breath, wrapping my arms around him and started to sob uncontrollably.

"Bells, calm down!" Jordan said loudly. However, I was spent. There had been too many emotions in so little time. For six years, I held back. I held back for too long.

"It's too…mu-ch," I gasped. I heard Edward sigh and he took my hand. He pulled me from my brother, leading into the hall for privacy.

"You need to pull yourself together, Bella," he snapped, whipping me around to face him.

_I can't do this now. Please not now. __I can't._ I felt myself about to lose it, my heart hurt.

"I'm fine," I said but it came out wrong.

"Falling and sobbing all over your brother is hardly fine," he indicated.

_Well, sorry to ruin such a fucking beautiful evening. _

"Sorry that I have a lot to deal with lately. It's all a little too much right now. Remember you, near death experience, and washing blood off my body?"

"You've used that excuse already, sweetheart."

What? How dare he? I slapped him.

_Leave, _I told myself, I had to go before the pain in my chest got worse. I walked away, but Edward grabbed my shoulder, causing the jacket to slip off. I heard him gasp from behind me. I realized that he probably could see the bruise that the necklace caused. He quickly removed his hand, a look of horror fixed on his face.

Good, he remembered something. "Coming back to you?" I inquired, fixing my jacket. "Now come darling, it's time to put up that Bachelor of the Year persona."

We both stood our ground and glared at each other. After a few moments, he led me by the small of my back to the table and we took our seats. Soon we spoke with everyone at our table. I made a few rounds, talking to some of our biggest donators. Edward stood and sat with me never wavering from his cool composure. However, I knew better. The anger was under the surface, waiting until it could be unleashed.

We laughed and spoke with his family as if it was a normal evening. I touched his arm a few times, noticing how he hadn't shied away from my touch. From time to time his internal turmoil threatened his external composure, evident whenever he ran his hands through his hair roughly.

Emmett had made some comment about Edward's hair looked more like a cockatiel. I laughed, telling him that he was jealous of Edward's sexy hair as I ran my fingers through it, trying to tame it.

I looked into his eyes, hoping to convey with my own eyes how much I loved him. He groaned as I placed soft lingering kiss on his lips. After he pulled me into his arms, deepening the kiss, I found my Edward.

However, when I tried to tell him that it'd been real for a long time, he walked away, unable to deal with his conflicting emotions. And I couldn't go after him since Carlisle and Esme made their way to the podium. I took my speech notes from my clutch, but I trembled. How was I supposed to do this? I needed to go to him.

Alice sat beside me. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"He knows, Alice," I whispered.

She gasped beside me. "You told…now…why now?"

"I didn't tell him. He found his file."

"Oh God."

"While I'm up there, can you tell everyone else? We're going to have to talk to him after this."

She nodded as Esme finished her speech. Edward hadn't returned, but I gave a nod to Carlisle who took his place. After introduction, I walked to the podium. I was panicking, and I could feel it in my chest.

I wasn't supposed to be up there, and I should've been by his side. I needed to find him. My speech was recited, my voice only cracked once. I had barely kept it together. I went back to my table, a round of applause following me. I hadn't deserved it.

Edward's family and my own surrounded me as the room was transformed to a dance floor. Thankfully, Nessie pointed out that Jordan and Julie had left. I wasn't ready to discuss my subjects to him, because I knew it would hurt him. The family discussed on how to handle talking to him when he returned. Jacob was talking with Mike and Jessica, telling each other how they handled it when I broke their hearts.

_Yeah that's not making me feel better guys._

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep myself together. Alice bent down to whisper in my ear that Edward coming toward me. He ignored everyone else, his eyes only on me.

_Please not here, Edward. Not now. Please._

The earrings were beautiful, but what he said was not. I felt him being pulled away from me. The pain in my chest was too fucking much. I was pissed. Here, of all places he chose to do this. I heard Carlisle, saying something to Edward, but I also heard Mrs. Carrington whisper something from the other table.

My life was over. I was going to lose him and everything else.

I stood up and practically ran out two doors that led to a large hallway. I felt him before I heard him. He followed me. He really wanted to do this here. I started to pace the hallway with my arms wrapped around my chest.

"Isn't this how it works, Bella?" he asked, seething. "I find out and I'm instantly a better person." I slapped the look of fucking satisfaction he had on his face.

"You humiliated me in there! You just put the foundation in a scandal and I'm pretty fucking sure I'll lose my license."

"I don't give a fuck!" he roared, nose to nose.

I slapped him again. Of course he hadn't, but he assumed the worst because he didn't know all the fucking facts.

It was over and after my little rant about exposing this at the Gala, I wasn't delusional, I had to end it right at that moment.

"How much did you charge them?" Ah, of course, the fact that his family was the first I asked for actual compensation and not only expenses came back to bite me.

"My fee was fifteen thousand a month, plus expenses."

"That's forty-five thousand or did you give them a discount when we were apart those two weeks?"

When I tried to slap him again, he caught my wrist and saw the bruises. The recognition was clear in his eyes. _Please remember, baby._ Emmett tore Edward away from me, standing protectively in front of me as Edward looked past him.

After his family told him I returned the money, he still refused to listen. "And I'm supposed to believe you. I'm supposed to believe that…what she really fell in love with me and returned the money."

The family said something, but voices started to blend together. I was angry and hurt. I had already lost everything because of him, no, because of me. It was my turn to twist the knife in his back. The one I put there, so that he'd move on, eventually.

"If I didn't love you, I would've walked away when you did after I was poisoned," I whispered. I had no intention of saying anything further. I wanted him to stew on what I said, but what he said pissed me off by what he said next.

"You needed me for comfort!"

The pain my chest increased and I couldn't take anymore. I sobbed, trembling as Rosalie and Alice rushed to my side. No, they shouldn't help me. He'd need them more than I would. I shook my head.

Words and phrases failed me, confusing me further. I said things that made little sense to anyone but me and him, if he had remembered. "If I didn't love you with all that I am, I wouldn't have said yes and let you have me last night, not like that at least."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Edward asked cautiously.

I stepped away from Rosalie's embrace, letting her jacket pool at my feet. His eyes flashed with emotion after emotion. I wanted him to walk away without a doubt that it was over between us. If he knew that it was over, he'd get over us that much sooner. I twisted my knife more.

I turned from him as I lowered the back zipper of my dress, revealing bruises along my ribs and lower back. Darkly I laughed and said, "I'm sure you have some of your own. I let you, but neither of us were gentle last night."

"Why…why would you … Why didn't you … fight…" he gasped, stumbling backward.

With his broken words, I lost it. My chest hurt bad and my head pounded. "Get me out of here," I cried to Alice. "Get me out of here!"

I collapsed in Rosalie's arms and I felt my heart breaking. Every part of my body was numb, including my legs.

"Bella!" he cried out just before I felt the night air. I wanted to go back to him. I tried to say something, but no one could hear me.

**Edward**

"Edward," I heard Carlisle say as he patted my cheek to wake me. I pushed him away, rising to my feet. What the fuck just happened? "Where is she?" I growled, walking out to the night air.

"She left with Alice and Rosalie."

"Carlisle, I hurt…hurt her."

"No, son."

"Did you see her? I hurt her. She'll never want me back."

"It's not what you think."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Alice called. She said that Bella tried to come back inside but they wouldn't let her. She kept saying that she needed to tell you that it wasn't what it looked like." He looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck. "It you know…angry sex." He shook his head.

The bitch, it was all just another fucking scene. I stormed toward her car.

"Where are you going, son?"

"Fuck off, Carlisle," I growled, wiping the blood from my lip.

"No, I will not fuck off. Where are you going?" His face was laced with both anger and concern. I wished I had the guts to wipe that look off his fucking face.

"Where else? To go fuck the first fine piece of ass I see at the club."

"Ah, the easy way out," he said calmly, his previous anger dissipating.

"Yes, I need to fuck her out of my system," I seethed, my fists clenching on my sides. I was desperate to hit something or someone. All I wanted now was to drown away my fucking misery and guilt. I had no memory of what I did to her the previous night.

"You were always one for the dramatics and quick fix solutions. We need to talk, now," he said before I could reach the car.

My head snapped back to look at him and my anger quickly boiling back to the surface. I started to pace in the hotel parking lot, trying to calm myself before I took it out on the one man that I respected most. My curiosity overrode my desire to afflict more damage. After a few calming breaths I was able to ask the one question that I needed an answer for.

"Why?"

Carlisle sighed and started to pace. His usual calm demeanor fell apart. "First of all, we _all_ had ulterior motives. Each and every one of us, including your aunt, has been involved."

I looked at him in question. She was the last person I would believe that would want any part of this fucking situation.

"My reasoning? When we all sat down and spoke our concerns on your tendencies and blatant disregard for women, we all thought that you'd listen. But instead, that same night you went to the club and bedded Tanya. We knew nothing we said got through to you. We were all at our breaking points. Esme lost quite a few friends and she was kicked out of her book club…"

"What the fuck does that have to do with me?" I growled, my anger starting to bubble again. I didn't need any more fucking guilt.

"You slept with all their daughters, and let me finish," he snapped back at me. "I lost all my golf buddies, one father actually tried to run me over with a golf cart."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"And Alice… you realized that Lily was her best friend until you slept with her. After you tossed her aside, she refused to speak with Alice and ceased to come to any family functions. Then she sued the company."

I felt like I hardly deserved to be sued since most of the flirting occurred outside the office. We chose to settle the case for over three million dollars.

"Rosalie has known you the least amount of time. She was always so hesitant to become close to you because of way you treated women reminded her so much of Royce."

I winced we all heard the story of what he did to her. How he broke her heart and tossed her aside after being together for over two years. He came to see her a few nights later and attacked her; it took a great deal of time for her to get over what he did. Emmett was the only one that made her see that she was still beautiful.

Bile started to come up my throat again, the guilt chewing through my stomach. I hurt Bella in some way last night. The bruises proved it. I heard Carlisle's phone ring, indicating that he received a message.

Another memory flashed through my mind. My back was pushed up against the wall and Bella's hands tugged hard on my hair, her mouth devouring my own. My hands left her face and I gripped her waist tightly, in a desperate attempt to hold on to her. I pushed her hard against the wall behind her, her teeth biting into my tongue. I groaned, grabbing hold of her hips, grounding my arousal against her.

I heard Carlisle as he said, "I'll get there as soon as I can." He turned to me. "Bella's in the hospital."

What? Despite my anger, I still loved her. We both approached this wrong, and we were both were so angry that we let it consume us.

"Don't go over there. Give yourselves some time to calm down."

"Wait, why is she in the hospital?" I had to know. I had to know that she was okay.

"She passed out then Alice said something about getting sick on the side of the road."

Carlisle paced a few times and ran his fingers through his hair. "Look son, we all did something we thought would help you. Her method has worked with all her previous partners. And we prayed that it would help you. We had no idea that you'd fall for each other. Well actually some of us hoped that it would turn to something real. It did, Edward."

"How am I supposed to know what was real, Carlisle?" He turned to look at me. "How can we go back to what we had?"

"You can't, that much is true. You both have been hurt beyond repair. Right now, you both need some time and to heal." Carlisle shrugged his shoulders. "Don't do something you'd regret, son." He fished his keys from his pocket and walked toward his Mercedes that was parked by Bella's car. "Take my car and give me Bella's keys." I nodded, handing him the keys.

"I have to go inside. I think some of Bella's friends may have diffused the situation, but I need to see if anyone heard something. See if we can cover this up."

"Carlisle, I didn't …mean to –" I felt so stupid. I risked the foundation and the company, again.

"I know. Sometimes we say and do stupid things when we're angry."

I nodded. "Can you call me with news of her condition?"

He nodded. I slid into his car and left. I needed to do something to forget everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours. I went to the club. I hadn't been there since the night Bella almost died.

I removed my tie and jacket, unbuttoning a few buttons in my shirt. I walked in and went straight for the bar. "Three shots of Jenessen," I told the female bartender. She smiled at me and winked, quickly making my order. I ignored her. I drank each one in quick succession.

I scanned the dance floor. And I swore I could see myself wrapped around my Bella, her body moving against my own. A woman with sandy blond hair came up to me then. "Hey there champ, want to dance?"

Champ. Bella called me that. I shook my head no, because no one could call me that but her.

Another blonde made a move minutes later, her hand glided over my arm. She purred in my ear. She hadn't even bothered to ask me, she just pulled me to the dance floor. I barely moved, but I felt her move against me. The lights flashed around the dance floor as memories assaulted me.

"_That's the only love sound you'll hear from me, Edward."_The pain in my chest increased.

"_So, no prospects tonight, Tiger?"_ My breathing became erratic.

"_What do I have to do for you to let me see you?" I asked, kissing the top of her head._

"_We'd have to remain professional while at the office. You have to let me pace our physical relationship and –" she trailed off. _

My head pounded. _"I love you," I said, giving her a grin and a wink. Bella smiled. "I love you." _I could barely breathe.

"_I love you Bella, no matter what you have tell me, I'll still love you." _My head started to spin.

_Bella stood up suddenly and I knew something was wrong. She grabbed her chest. Her chest started to heave. Nessie grabbed her and Bella looked at me gasping for breath._

_I watched with crystal clarity as Bella reached for me. I watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body collapsed on the floor._

I barely made it to the bathroom and wretched in the toilet.

"Go home, Edward. You don't belong here anymore," a voice said from outside the stall.

I flushed the toilet and flung the door open. There stood Julian. Bella's ex. A subject. "What number are you?" I asked, pushing against him so I could pass.

"I was number two."

I laughed as I washed out my mouth and hands. Who was lucky number one? Jacob, who else? "How the fuck can you even stand her?"

"Easy, I love her." I whipped my head around to glare at him. "Don't look at me that way. I was in your place five years ago and I was pissed as hell."

"What did you do?"

"I tried to do the same thing you had, but I succeeded. I fucked the first pair of pretty legs I could find. I fucking lost my dinner afterward. It just wasn't the same anymore. I went back to talk to her after several failed attempts at forgetting her. I asked her to lift the curse she placed on me."

I laughed. That was exactly what it felt like with her. Magic. I shook my head. All of that was too much.

"You don't belong here, Edward. I don't think you ever really did. You came in here and performed like a robot. Tell me from all your previous experiences, did any compare to her?"

"No."

"Exactly. She made it more. I had a hard time but with her help she made me see what was right in front of me the whole time, my best friend."

I nodded. "But she…they say that it was real for her."

Julian laughed. "Yes it is. I noticed it the first time I saw you two together. She never looked at me like the way she looked at you." I shook my head, unable to cope with what he told me. "Tell me, Edward, in all the time you spent with her how many times did she tell you that she loved you?"

I thought for a moment, I feared the memories, but I wanted to know where he was going with this. "Thousands," I whispered, looking at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. I watched Julian smile in the mirror his dark eyes locked with mine.

"Well, in all the time I spent with her and the many times I told her I loved her, not once did she tell me she loved me."

Well… fuck.


	25. Toxic

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Five – Toxic**

* * *

**Alice**

"Bella!" Edward cried out, reaching for her as Rosalie and I carried her out into the night.

"Take me…back," Bella gasped, one of her hands clenched at her chest. God, she was in pain, so much pain.

"No Bella, we're taking you home," Rosalie spat, she was angry. I couldn't imagine what was running through her head after what we'd seen.

"No…he's going to feel guilty." Bella tried again, looking up at me, begging me with tear-filled eyes. "He just held me too hard." Her body trembled as sob after sob escaped her. Falling to her knees she continued and said, "We both had last night."

"Edward didn't hurt you last night?" Rosalie asked softly, weaving some of Bella's hair behind her ear.

Bella shook her head harshly and cried out. "He forgot everything! He asked –" She sobbed and twisted her palm up, opening her left hand out – oh my God.

"Esme, isn't that Elizabeth's ring?" I asked. Esme nodded as tears pooled in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter now, he's beyond reason," Rosalie whispered, pulling Bella to her feet. "You can't go back there." Rosalie led Bella toward my Porsche, and I noticed Bella leaning heavily onto Rosalie.

"No…take me back…" Bella pleaded again as tear after tear fell from her bright, glazed eyes.

"You're both so angry and you both need to calm down," I reasoned with her.

She sobbed harder as we helped her into my car. Rosalie and Esme walked over to another call and followed me as I drove toward Bella's apartment. Turning on my Bluetooth, I looked for Dad's number. Bella had gone exceptionally quiet phone, which after everything she'd been through lately was not a good thing. When I looked over, I felt relieved to see that tears streaked down her cheeks. At least she was there with me, and not lost in her thoughts.

Edward was the only one that could help her return to reality, and I feared he'd never be there for her after what happened. What would happen to her if she slipped into one of her catatonic states again? _What the hell was he thinking by doing what he did?_

"Carlisle," I said as he answered.

"Alice, Emmett had to take Jasper out of here before he hit Edward again."

"Oh God, is Edward okay?" I felt Bella's fingers curl around my thigh when she heard his name, even after what he'd done, she still worried about him. I gave her a small smile, letting her know that he was all right.

"He's out cold, but he's coming around," Dad said softly, he sighed deeply before he continued. "Alice has Bella said anything…about…what," his voice trailed off.

"Yes, it's not what it looked like. It was mutual and consensual, just rough from what I understand."

He sighed deeply again. "What have we done, Alice?"

"I don't know, but I'm worried about Bella. She's –" I looked over at her again, she continued to look out of the window. "She's not doing well."

"Stay with her, sweetheart. I'll take care of Edward."

"I will." I slipped my phone back in my purse and touched Bella's arm to let her know I was there for her. We flew across town to Bella's apartment. I took a few deep breaths, wishing there was something that could be said to help ease the pain. There was nothing that would help. Everything that occurred at the Gala happened, because we all couldn't face the truth.

We hired Bella, and she asked more than once that she needed to step away. We made her stay.

I wanted Edward back, because I had grown tired of the man that hurt everyone with his choices and actions. It seemed that I'd become like him, making choices that hurt people. My decision to seek Bella out had two people I loved in terrible pain. It wasn't something that would go away in instant. No, their pain was deep. The type of pain that clawed into their very heart and soul, and it was my fault.

"Stop blaming yourself," Bella said softly. Her forehead rested against the window of my car, looking out into the dark sky as it started to rain. Her were tears silent, etching little paths down her pale skin.

I sighed, letting a few tears escape my eyes. God she knew me too well. In Bella, I didn't see only a friend; I saw my sister. Her pain tortured me because of something we did.

"Everyone had a little part in this," she whispered, shaking her head. "But mostly it was me, and I know that now. I should have cuffed him to the bed to make him listen to me." What could I have said to that? After a moment, she broke the silence again. "Alice, I don't feel so good," she said, her voice cracking.

"Of course you don't, Bella. You ju…" I tried to continue, but she cut me off.

"No, Alice," Bella gasped, clawing at the door. "I mean I don't _feel_ good. Pull over."

I looked over at her; she looked so pale and her hand was clamped over her mouth. My eyes widened, barely managing to bring the car to a halt before Bella swung the door open, losing her dinner in a nearby trash can. I groaned, feeling worse. Esme and Rosalie pulled up behind me, both climbing out of the car to help Bella.

When she collapsed into my mother's arms, I got out of my car quickly. Together we helped Bella back into my car. Her breaths were ragged, and it seemed that her eyes threatened to roll back into her head. "What do we do?" I looked to my mom for answers.

Bella whimpered, moaned, clutching my arm. "Take me to the hospital. I might be pregnant," Bella gasped in between breaths before she completely passed out. _Oh shit._

"Oh, God," Esme gasped. I stood there with my mouth wide open. _Can things get worse? __Hello, yes they can, Alice. Bella is unconscious._

I kicked it into high gear and ran to the driver's side and climbed into my car. Esme and Rosalie both ran over to the car they were in as I peeled out of the space, nearly hitting a minivan. I winced at the loud horn and quickly dialed Carlisle. I told him what was happening and casually left out the fact that Bella might be pregnant. After reassuring me that Edward was all right, he said he'd join us later.

A few minutes later we arrived at the local hospital, and Rosalie coaxed a large male nurse, who helped us bring Bella inside the building. My mother thankfully had already called Bella's cousin, Nessie, who said she'd call Jordan. While we waited for someone to see Bella, Rosalie made calls to Jasper and Emmett.

"What's going on here?" A doctor in his mid-thirties listened to a couple of nurses that were working on getting Bella's vitals.

"Umm, she was sick after a dinner party we were having," I said softly, taking Bella's jacket from the nurse. "She got sick and kept slipping in and out of consciousness since then. She's been having iron problems and she said that she might be pregnant."

The doctor nodded at something the nurse said, ordering some blood to be drawn. "Do you know how bad her iron was?"

I tried to remember a conversation we had during lunch that we had a couple of weeks ago. "I think it was pretty bad. Enough to scare her."

The doctor nodded and started to give more orders to the nurses. Since we weren't family, they asked us to wait. Thirty minutes later my father, Jasper and Emmett arrived, waiting for the doctor to tell us something. I held a sobbing Nessie as Jacob ran his fingers along her back to soothe her.

"Miss Wolfe," the doctor called out toward us. "Hello, I'm Dr. Wright." He extended his hand out toward Nessie. The poor thing looked up at the doctor, looking lost and helpless. "We can discuss your cousin's condition in private if you'd like?" Nessie shook her head, clutching my hand tightly. Thank God, she wanted us there. If she wanted to keep us in the dark, I'd go crazy with worry. The doctor nodded. "All right. First of all, do you know why she has so many bruises on her?"

Nessie's eyes widened. Jacob and Jasper growled beside us. Over-protective asses, the minute they arrived I told them exactly what Bella had said about the bruises. "Doctor, it's not what you think. Her and her boyfriend got carried away last night," I said. Someone had to say something to clear the suspicion.

"She said something like that when we tried to do a rape kit."

I shook my head. "It's not like that, sir."

He nodded. "I still have to report it, but right now, we have other concerns. We're going to start a blood transfusion. She's well below the norm for iron. She was a five-point-four moments ago." Nessie gasped beside me. "But she lost consciousness again," the doctor continued, "We need consent."

Nessie nodded. "Her brother and I are her only family left."

"She has a wedding ring on her finger. Is she not married?" the doctor asked.

Nessie looked at me and all I could do was shrug my shoulders. I had no idea what was behind her wearing the wedding ring. Had Edward ask her last night? I shook my head. Edward and Bella were the only ones who could tell us that answer. However, it seemed as if Edward hadn't remembered anything. Bella had indicated that he'd been drunk.

"If we sign the paper work, you can get started, right?" Nessie asked.

"Is her boyfriend or fiancée here?" The doctor looked at the rest of my family. When Nessie shook her head, he continued. "She asked for us to check if she was pregnant. She is, but there's a problem."

Holy fuck. Guilt twisted in my gut and by the look in everyone else's eyes, I'd say I wasn't the only one. What the fuck have we done? Not only have we hurt two people, who may never recover from this, but they may be tied to each other forever. It could destroy them further. Fuck!

"Oh God. What now?" Nessie asked, looking sick.

"Her records indicated problems with cists and fibroids," he said gently. "And I know she'd been taken off the medication a few short months ago before her moving here. Unfortunately, they returned."

"Is she going to lose the baby?" Nessie whimpered as tears pooled in her big brown eyes. God, she looked so much like Bella.

"There are options," the doctor informed us.

"This is not our decision. This is her and Edward's child, they need to discuss it," I said, looking at my family. They all nodded in agreement.

"We have some time to see what we can do, since we can't do anything until we can get her iron back up. However, we can't wait too long. The longer we wait the more danger to her and the baby."

We had to call Edward. The question was whether he would answer.

**Edward **

I left shortly after my discussion with Julian at the club. He left me with a lot to think about, but still thoroughly confused. With no destination in mind, I drove around the city in circles—lost.

I had to leave Seattle. I couldn't remain there and maintain a reasonable distance from her. If I stayed I risked losing the battle. The battle to run back to her and say the words that said I'd forgive her if she loved me. _Does she love me? _The question felt as if would remain on repeat until it was answered. There was only way that it could be answered, and I couldn't risk myself further by going to her.

With that in mind, I made the call for the company jet. Though I was positive that Carlisle would not appreciate the use of the company assets for personal reasons, I'd hope he understand why. All the emotions and confusion in my head couldn't be straightened out when I knew she was close.

My first thought was Vegas. There was nothing better than to drown myself in liquor and lose a shit load of cash at the fucking tables to let go. To forget all the crap I'd been through in the last few months, even if it was only temporary.

However, I couldn't make my fucking mouth say Vegas to the pilot. No, I said Carmel, for some reason, my gut said I needed to go there. I drove through the rainy streets of Seattle toward my apartment to grab a bag and leave as soon as possible.

My damn cell phone kept vibrating in my pocket, and I seriously considered throwing it out the fucking window. Yet, I knew I couldn't ignore it. The need for information about her made me feel damn pathetic. Why couldn't I be stronger?

My whole fucking body was aching to go find Bella. My fucking heart was even screaming at me to go find her. But my mind—or at least a part of my mind—told my softer side to fuck off.

I sped toward my apartment, weaving in and out of lanes to get there faster. _"Slow down, champ." _

I stiffened as I heard her soft soothing voice as it'd come from the passenger seat beside me. I looked and exhaled, a little disappointed to not find her there. For a moment there, I thought I lost it.

A green light that I swore changed straight to red was overhead as I passed it. _"Go right!" _

On her voice alone, I weaved to the right barely missing a car. _Holy fuck, I'm so mind-fucked_. I pulled over, trying to catch my breath and restart my heart. I was so fucking confused that there was suddenly the little voice in my head sounded like Bella. I laughed, _you're fucking losing it man._

"_Don't worry, you're not losing it."_

How could I feel so many emotions toward one person at the same time? I hated her, I loved her. I felt guilt and pity. I felt angry and I felt sad, but for some fucked up reason, I didn't feel regret.

I had loved her. _Fuck, I still do_. Despite the truth, I couldn't regret the time I spent with her. She showed me things that I had never thought I'd been capable of. It wasn't about the sex with us, never had been.

It was about all the little things. She showed me how to be myself, something I hadn't done in a long while. Something I was never really comfortable with since I was kid. How could I forget our first breakfast together? After my parents died, I hadn't eaten one, opting to skip it. Even when one was offered, I couldn't conjure up my appetite for it, until Bella.

That was one thing I always woke up to every morning, breakfast. My mother's French toast, waffles or pancakes and my father's omelets. They loved cooking in the kitchen together.

Bella had me enjoying breakfast again. It was a small detail, but I really liked that I could do that again. She showed me that I had a loving family. How they loved me and missed me. Most of the time, I spent with them was at the club and occasional dinners. Bella helped me get closer to them.

But then they went and fucked it all up. I didn't want to fucking spend time with them anymore.

_They hurt and lied to me!_

I switched the stereo on, hoping to block the "Bella voice," telling me to go find her. I pulled onto the street and sped my way toward my apartment.

"_What if I wanted to break, laugh it off in your face? What would you do? What if I fell to the floor? Couldn't take all of this anymore? What would you do, do, do"_

I laughed at the irony and the fucking timing. "What fucking perfect song!" I growled. It was exactly how I felt right now. I had every reason to.

"_Come, break me down. Bury me, bury me. I am finished with you!"_

Was I really ready to be finished with my family? I knew that it would take time and that my family was all I really had. Should I forgive them? Could I forgive them? And Bella? What could I possibly want with her? Did I want her back? Would she want me back? Could I erase the pain?

_Does she love me? _I pounded the dashboard with my fist. The Kill, the damn song fucking mocked me.

"_What if I wanted to fight? Beg for the rest of my life. What would you do? You say you wanted more. What are you waiting for? I'm not running from you."_

It was exactly what I planned to do. Run, to leave and never look back.

"_Come, break down. Bury me, bury me. I am finished with you. Look in my eyes, you're killing me, killing me. All I wanted was you."_

Bella had been what I wanted all along. She was my dream, my angel that occasionally dressed like the devil. She was my little vixen. _She is mi vida_.

From the moment I saw her, I wanted her. She was everything I didn't know I wanted and so much more. But I didn't even know if the Bella I fell in love with was even real. What if my Bella and the real one was not the same person? What if the real Bella never loved me?

_Does she love me? _I shook my head. I couldn't think about this, I had to get out of town before I couldn't fight to stay away from her any longer. She fucking hurt me, too much. Too fucking much. I parked in my space of my apartment complex a few minutes later, and finally made it up to my apartment.

I ran to the closet, trying not to look at the bed, or the couch, anywhere else Bella and I had made love. Fuck, thinking about those things wasn't helping my resolve. I grabbed my suitcase and went to my drawer for my socks, t-shirts and boxers. I came up empty handed. Nothing.

Shit, all my clothes were at Bella's place. I laughed, had I not a few weeks ago thought of her apartment as ours? Fuck. I thought for a few minutes, pacing my hallway, trying to figure if I should go over there for my things.

Fuck it. I could buy some more things once I landed in California. Then again, I know I wasn't any condition or mood to spend a day shopping. I was going to have to go back there – to our place.

I sighed, grabbing my suitcase, taking the elevator down to the lobby. I walked briskly and tried to tell myself I was going into the apartment, grab some clothes and I was out. There was nothing else there for me, she wasn't there anymore.

_She's at the hospital._

Oh fuck, the painful thought of her in that place again hit hard and sharp in my chest. One thing was certain there was no way she had faked her visit to the hospital when Tanya poisoned her.

My girl was in the hospital and I wasn't there with her. My breathing started to become erratic again, the panic attack I had early resurfaced. I closed my eyes, my salvation were Bella's eyes. With her in mind, I slowed my breathing as best as I could.

Once I reached the cool Seattle air, I breathed deeply. My head spun for a moment, but still an image of her in my mind helped me get back into control. I walked the short distance to Bella's building and wondered briefly if our being neighbors was a coincidence or not. Shit like that fucked with my head. I had to stop myself for finding reasons to stay.

Derek, the doorman to Bella's building greeted me with a smile and quick nod. I didn't even acknowledge him. A part of me knew that after tonight, he'd never see me again.

When the elevators came into view, my memories sprang forth. Fuck. Hell. I was in fucking hell. I made it to the elevator; my memory and the "Bella voice" reminding me of what transpired within or around the area since I met Bella.

_Once in the elevator though, Bella attacked me. I mean __attacked __me. She placed her hand on my chest and pushed me against the wall of the small elevator. With a look of lust, longing and determination, she plunged her tongue in my mouth._

_I moaned as her arms wrapped around my neck and she hopped up. I had to grab her ass to catch her. Her legs wrapped around my waist as her warm sex pressed against my abs. My cock, which was still at attention since we left the club, was straining against my jeans. "Bella, love, you're driving me crazy."_

_She hummed in agreement while kissing and licking my neck. The elevator dinged as we reached her floor. The doors opened, and I walked us into the hallway with her still attached to me. Not that I was complaining._

The voice in my head reminded me, _"That's the first time you called her 'love,'" _the voice whispered as if she was right beside me. I shivered, my palms sweating, and I felt myself straining in my pants.

_Fuck! I shouldn't be feeling that way when I'm this fucking pissed!_ She was everywhere. Her scent, her things were everywhere I turned. In my car, my building, my room, my office, the elevators of our buildings. Every-fucking-where, there was no escaping the onslaught of memories. I had to get out! I closed my eyes; one fist clenched beside me and the other around the handle of my suitcase. The elevator dinged and I had finally reached our floor. _"I guess it's not your floor anymore, is it?" _I roared internally at my own warring mind in anger and pain.

More memories assaulted me the moment I walked into the hallway that led to our apartment.

_Bella locked the apartment door behind us, a small gym bag in hand. We were heading to workout at the gym, one of our favorite things to do together. Besides sex of course. _

_She looked fucking glorious in a tiny pair of red shorts and a white tank top. I wanted to grope her as we walked toward the elevator, but she kept swatting my hand away. "Behave or we're not going to do what I have planned."The sinful, yet playful smirk on her face told me I'd like what she had in mind. _

_I stopped, pulled her by her hand toward my chest. I wrapped my arms around her small waist, kneading the skin at the small of her back. _

"_And what do you have planned?" I asked, kissing her along the length of her slender neck, hoping for an answer. She moaned as she always had when I nibbled there. _

"_Mirrors," she gasped when I bit gently at her collarbone._

_Oh fuck. My eyes practically rolled in the back of my head as image after sexy image sprang from my imagination. _Fuck, what the hell had I ever done to deserve this woman? _I threw her over my shoulder, taking both our bags and ran to the elevator, desperate for our sparring session to begin._

Gasping for breath, my vision blurred from the tears that stung in them. I clutched the door know, barely managing to unlock it. Upon opening, I was assaulted with the scent of her perfume and her. She was everywhere. My vision blurred further. _Does she love me? _The question repetitive within my own confused mind, as it was important. Wasn't it? I took a few tentative steps inside, closing the door behind me.

"_You seriously don't fucking remember last night, do you?"_ Her words, both said in anger and hurt, the memory so clear. I shook my head_. _It was only a few hours ago that she said those words to me, yet it felt like a lifetime ago. I clenched my fists a few times trying to control my breathing.

I walked toward the bedroom with my eyes closed but I remembered the small step up toward that section of the apartment. I opened my eyes and I regretted it instantly.

It was like a movie playing in my head. A movie I hadn't seen before, but I knew I was a part of. I saw myself push Bella against the wall, my nose grazing her neck and jaw as my fingers curled around the ring as I tore it from her neck. The look she wore of pain on her delicate face was torture. I sobbed, falling to my knees, my face in my hands as I tried to stop the images in front of my eyes. Half of me wanted to remember what happened last night, the other fought against it.

I taunted her, wearing the ring on my finger showing it to her. Tears filled her eyes, whimpering but her gaze never wavered. She stood there, and she hadn't fought me. She hadn't tried to defend herself after taking the ring from her, tear after tear fell from her eyes.

Despite the state of drunkenness I'd been in, I knew that my mind switched from love, hate, anger to sadness. The emotions were dizzying and all encompassing. I whispered to her to love me. She answered, and when I seemed to be satisfied by her answer, I slid my mother's ring on her finger.

"_Marry me," I whispered in her ear, laying small searing kisses across her collarbones._

_Without hesitation she answered, "In a heartbeat." _

I let out a strangled cry because of the loss of memory. Nothing further came to me, but I had asked her to marry me and she said she would. Was she still wearing the ring?

_Does she love me? _If we worked it out last night, why hadn't she told me?

I stood on shaky limbs and took slow deliberate steps toward our bedroom. Once I passed the bedroom door, I ran to the dresser and started to grab clothes. The force I used to open the door caused it to bounce back and close with a thud, stirring more memories.

I had pleaded with her not to leave me. She said she would always be with me. I pleaded with her again, her answer the same: she wouldn't leave and she felt the same for me. I picked her up and slammed into her. Both groaning and our bodies moved together, I told her that the discussion would need to continue.

I asked her to marry me, to love me and to never leave me. Then I slapped that discussion in her face by doing what I did at the Gala. Why hadn't she said something before we left? Why did she not remind me?

"_You wouldn't have believed her." _Stupid "Bella voice."

I shook my head, trying to dispel the images of our bodies pressed together and the way held on to her, as if my life depended on it. Against the door, the floor and the bed, I'd been relentless and hungry for only what she could give me.

"_You both were."_

I shed my tux, still trying to clear my head. Once in the bathroom, I started to grab my toiletries, stuffing them into a travel bag. I passed the full length mirror in the corner and noticed bruises. It seemed as if I hadn't been the only one that held on too tight. I examined a large bruise at the small of my back. A few started to show up around my arms, smallish as if were fingertips.

I had to leave before I gave in – I had to go. Dressing quickly in jeans and a t-shirt, I zipped my suitcase closed and made my way down the hall when my cell phone rang again. I grabbed it checking who it was – Carlisle.

I answered. "Edward." I didn't say anything, but listened. "Son, you need to get down here." I remained silent. "If you're there, it's more serious than I thought."

I sighed and replied, "I'll be right there." Despite everything, I loved her with all of me and the thought of her being sick made my stomach twist in knots. In the office, I found my laptop on the desk along with my charger. It appeared to be still working. I scanned the CD shelf, though I had no clue why I wanted it, but my file weren't amongst her collection.

With everything in hand, I was ready to leave. However, I first had to face her, even if only long enough to make sure she was all right.

As I walked back to my building to grab my car, I called the pilots to delay my flight for a couple of hours. I arrived at the hospital in less than fifteen minutes, my suitcase tucked away in the trunk of my car. As I made my way through the hospital, my heart filled with pain and dread, I could see most of my family waiting. Alice approached me, but I shook my head, I had nothing to say to her. I stared straight ahead and walked into the room a nurse said Bella would be in.

There, on a small bed, Bella laid, the fluorescents making her skin look ghostly pale. I took a few deep breaths and with each one my resolve to leave her crumbled, brick by brick.

Her dark lashes lay on the apples of her cheeks, her chest rising and falling steadily. Though it was obvious that she slept, I could see that it wasn't peaceful—far from it. Her brow scrunched, lips parting in tiny gasps, in obvious pain. I wasn't sure if it was only physical or if she hurt as much as I did.

To see her like that again, reminded me so much of the night I had almost lost her. I almost lost her in the cruelest way, the cruelest until the truth had been revealed. The steps I took further into the room were almost as if I walked in quicksand. Fear of more truths, pain and the love holding me back as I fought to move forward.

There was a machine and IVs attached to her. _Blood, but why was she having a transfusion?_

"Edward," she whispered in her sleep. I stopped a few feet from the side of the bed when I heard the door open behind me.

"Edward," I heard behind me.

"Don't say anything, Alice," I said through clenched teeth.

"You need to know what's happening to her."

"Well there's blood there so I'm guessing she's have a transfusion. Her iron must have been dangerously low," I said without looking back at her.

"Yes, but do you know why she was so sick?" I sighed and shook my head. "She has fibroids on her uterus."

I tried to remember what they were – a type of benign tumor, not cancerous. Damn it, she should've told me. "Does she need surgery?"

"Maybe, she's…um, it's complicated Edward," Alice said, stalling on whatever she was trying to get at. Of course it was complicated, hadn't it been that way since Bella had come into my life. Something Alice and the rest of my family made sure of.

"Spit it out, Alice," I said, seething at this point. How dare she keep something like this from me? I had every right to know what was going on with Bella. I turned to glare at her.

Alice's eyes bore into my own before answering, "She's pregnant."

Dozens of thoughts ran through my mind, but the one that stuck the most was the one vision of our daughter, sitting on my shoulders, walking hand and hand with Bella. Then suddenly the image felt like it was ripped from me. I tried to remember any reason that she would be pregnant with my child; I'd seen her take her birth control pills before. There were several times she could've been with someone, another subject perhaps. Hell, when I left to take care of a project in California and she couldn't join me. Maybe that was the real reason.

I stood there for a few minutes stunned and hurt more than ever. Alice glared at me and her eyes narrowed. "I swear to God, Edward. If the next words out of your mouth are 'Is the baby mine?' I will fucking kick that pretty face of yours!" I looked at her and smirked. Ah, she knew me too well. "The baby is yours," she spat.

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I here?" I asked, turning back to face Bella again. I was so fucked, I had no idea what to think or do.

"Well you two need to talk," she said, the edge in her voice still there. "That much is fucking obvious. The surgery or even the medications could hurt the baby."

"Tell her to take care of it," I said indifferently, shrugging my shoulders. "She doesn't need me."

"What did you say?" Alice asked in a low whisper, trying to stay quiet, likely so she wouldn't disturb Bella. I turned toward her and I noticed she took a few more steps closer to me. I shrugged my shoulders and repeated my previous statement. She slapped me, damn, my poor fucking cheek. "What the hell do you mean 'take care of it?'" Alice was angry almost trembling from it.

"Get out," a raspy voice said behind me. Alice gasped, looking toward Bella. I turned and saw her dark eyes were on me. Her jaw was clenched tight and her breathing labored. "Get out."

"What, Bella?" I asked, trying to decipher the emotions in her eyes. Anguish. Anger. Pain. _Do you love me?_

"Leave," she said. Her gaze left mine as her hand ran over her stomach. A pang of pain hit me as she rubbed a few circles around her abdomen. She had no idea how much I wanted to touch her there, too. But the thought disappeared in a flash of anger, reminding me of the truths I had recently learned. "You're right, we don't need you."

"Of course not," I said, unable to keep the venom out of my voice. "I'm sure you have your next subject already lined up to give you a hand."

She snapped her eyes back to me. "Take your fucking ring and go," she said angrily, almost gasping out of breath. Tiring easily, her words softened as she continued. "I'll make the decision to risk surgery or not on my own. I don't need you." The moment she tried to remove the ring from her finger, the pain in my chest increased.

"Fuck!" I ran my fingers through my hair, thankful that Alice had left. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing or saying, much less what I was thinking. "I didn't mean it that way," I said in a frustrated tone. "I meant to do whatever you think needs to be done. You know… to ensure your health."

"Sure you did," Bella said menacingly.

"What the fuck do you want from me?" With frustrating tugs on my hair, I started to pace again. "Less than twenty-four hours, I come to find out that my family and the love of my life _betrayed_ me." I thumped my fist on my chest, a way for her know where I hurt so fucking badly. "You've all been lying to me." The words ended in a desperate gasp and as I breathed in deeply, she needed to know how the trust had been obliterated. "How the hell do I know if you're really pregnant?"

A soft sigh fell from her lips, shadows already forming beneath her eyes. "I'm not going to answer that question, and you know the reason why. I'd never use a child as an excuse for you remain in my life." The words were said in her softest of voices, a tone I had only heard whenever she whispered she loved me. It was truths and fears, whispered in the most intimate of moments.

It was then I realized that she wouldn't lie, not about a child. The rest hit me even harder; Bella was irrevocably tied to me forever. A part of me, a rather large part, couldn't deny the desire I had for it to be true. However, she was right. A child shouldn't be the _only_ reason to be in one each other's lives. What the fuck are we supposed to do?

Before I could form a coherent thought, so I could talk, Bella continued, "You need to watch the rest of the videos. They'll explain everything I was feeling throughout the first week that I met you."

The fucking videos, the ones that analyzed and pointed out how much of a fucking asshole I'd been. Still was. "What the hell is that going to prove?"

When her eyes met mine again, all of the anger was gone in her glistening brown eyes. "That I closed the case because I fell in love with you."

I blanched and literally recoiled from the words, stepping away from her. I hadn't been ready for them, not when the drama had unfolded merely hours prior. My reaction caused her beautiful eyes to widened and fill further. A sob escaped her, and it took what little control I had left to remain standing and not taking her hand.

Shaking my head, I gasped, "I can't…don't say that." Though my eyes were closed, afraid to see the broken look upon her face, I could hear the despair in her soft spoken reply of "okay."

I had to put a stop to that conversation, though the next one would prove even harder. "How far along are you?"

There was no hesitation in her answer. "Almost eight weeks."

Quickly, I calculated, thinking back to when it could've happened. And again, I was thrust in memories I hadn't been ready to explore. I groaned in both frustration and pain. A mere memory turned me in knots. "The week that Daniel died," I whispered. Unable to stay away any longer, I took a few steps closer to her.

She nodded in confirmation. "I was already taking St. John's Wart for two weeks and with all that happened, I completely forgot about the drug interactions." I remained quiet, unable to come up with anything to say. I was going to be a father; the reality of that still hadn't hit me. "It wasn't on purpose. I'm not trying to latch on to you and I'm not after your money."

"I know, Bella," I said softly. And I did. "You don't need the money or the family name. But –" I trailed off, unable to say that I wasn't sure what it meant for us.

"I'm not asking you take me back," she said, dropping her eyes to her lap. "Right now, I don't even know if I _want_ to go back." That last part hit me like a ton of fucking bricks. I hadn't even considered that possibility. _Do you love me?_

"It's not because I don't love you, because hell, I do – so much," she said, but that time her words were firm and fucking real. At least a part of me believed them to be. "However, I can't handle it, Edward. I can't handle you walking away when things get tough. Not from me and now my baby."

Despite the firm tone in which she spoke and the fierceness in her eyes, her words struck me harshly as if I'd been punched.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! And I strike out at the one of the things she said that scared me. "Our baby, Bella," I snapped. It was our baby, not only hers.

Her eyes snap back up to look into mine and I could see the small wince of pain. The idea of her hurting clawed into me. "Are you…going to take her from me?"

Oh God. "Bella, fuck… I wouldn't do that to you."

She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. The softness returned to her eyes. "Don't do this, Edward," Bella whispered, her tone was desperate.

"Do what?"

"You're leaving again," she said. "I know you are. I need you here."

"You fucking said that you didn't know if you wanted me back," I lashed out, throwing her words back at her. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"I'm as confused as you are!" she screamed, closing her eyes. Dark lashes fluttered for a moment against the pale skin of her face. And for a moment, I was lost in her. God, how I wanted to turn back the clock. I wished I hadn't found that CD, to have remained in the dark, but still in the light of her. Now lost in the darkness of the ugly truth, I was her subject. A part of me believed that had she revealed the truth in a way that hadn't been so harsh, that we'd be at home, working things out.

"Love me," she whispered, repeating my own words from the previous night.

"Always," I answered.

"Don't leave."

My voice was hoarse, as my throat tightened. "I can't stay."

"If you leave," she said as she closed her eyes and lay back onto the bed. "Don't come back—to me." The implication in her words was clear. If I left her there in the hospital, I couldn't back to her, only to our child.

"I need to think, love," I whispered, though her pet name felt almost foreign in the light of the truth, it hadn't felt bitter. However, she needed to understand. "Everything in my head is all jumbled up. I have to put some of those pieces back together to see if I can make sense of them. I can't do this here!"

"You hear that I have to have surgery that may put our baby in danger and all you can think about is running!" she screamed, causing her heart rate to increase. Her eyes and brow furrowed and glared at me.

"I can't…I don't want…fine," I said giving in.

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered, closing her eyes, shutting me out.

"Look, I said fine," I snapped. "I'm fucking staying and you're response is whatever?"

She opened her eyes, and finally I could see the vulnerability there. Something I hadn't seen since Daniel's death. "What do you expect me to say? Thank you? It's obvious you don't want to stay. I don't want to force you then, so go run and hide." I glared at her, even if her accusation was spot on. My entire life I'd run from everything that hurt me. "What, Edward? It's what you're good at."

I ignored her, since in her eyes I could see a semblance of truth. She was as confused as I was. Taking a chair in my hands, I brought it closer to the bed. Unable to resist the temptation to touch her, I took her hand in my own. My fingers glided gently over her knuckles and palm. I kissed the ring still on her finger. I could pretend for a little while. _Does she love me?_

"Tell me, what are our options?" I asked softly.

"There's medication to shrink them, but that can harm the baby. So that option is out," she said almost robotically. That should've been my first warning that she was on edge of falling apart.

"There are a few types of surgeries that they can perform. All of them present some danger to the baby. But it's better to do it now before the baby gets too big. There is also waiting, sometimes the hormones during pregnancy can make them go away on their own. But in my case the fibroids are too big so that can be dangerous to us both."

Not only did I stand to lose the baby if we waited to see, but her, too. That wasn't an option. Though the pregnancy happened without a warning, I knew deep down, losing the baby would destroy us both. "What do you think is the best option?"

"Surgery through small incisions, the doctor said he believes that they are outside of my uterus, so that would be easiest and less evasive for the baby."

"But that would require more recovery time for you," I said. She nodded in confirmation. "How soon can they schedule surgery?" I asked kissing her knuckles again.

"Tomorrow morning after my iron goes back up," Bella said quietly.

"I think that would be best, too," I whispered. "If I had more time to research, I'd be able to give you a more reassuring answer." I smiled sheepishly, her eyes softening further. She pulled her hand from mine and gently ran a fingertip over my mouth.

God, I fucking loved her so much. "Why didn't you tell me, Bella?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't want to scare you."

I shook my head in disbelief. We both remained quiet, avoiding the elephant in the room. We had to stop pretending. "Why, Bella?" Even though they were only two words, my voice cracked with unspeakable pain.

"Are you sure you want to hear this now?" I nodded. She sighed. "I wanted to help your family, by helping you."

"It's not about the money," I said, stating it more like a fact that a question.

"I never asked for anything more than expenses," she replied. "Julian's brother offered to pay for my monthly expenses so I could devote my entire time on Julian."

I thought about that for a moment. "Jacob," I said. I knew he had to be the first.

"We dated off and on in high school. But after I left for college, we never broached our relationship again. Then I made him a school project at first," she said, shaking her head, grimacing. "I was doing a paper, a study on how men act differently toward different types of personalities. A sexy confident woman versus a sweet innocent girl. Sweet and innocent worked for him, but we hadn't actually tried to date again. I _hadn't _allowed it to go further than flirtation. However, Sam asked me to help him; he said he noticed a difference in Jacob since we started seeing each other again. I tried to explain that we were only friends, but he told me how Jacob was sleeping with everyone on the res and it was causing problems.

"At the time I didn't want him to become like my brother. So I started to seriously date him, but it was also an extension of my study. I know that sounds cold, but that's how I saw it."

I nodded, silently asking her to continue.

"Then all hell broke loose," she said, her voice quivering. "Brianna died and Jordan almost did. I leaned on Jacob. I tried not to analyze everything, but I did, allowing me to keep up with his file. I thought of it more than journals at the time, at least that was my excuse.

"Over time, I wanted to see what would happen if I was more like myself. By then I had already been clubbing, dressing differently and was taking dance classes. I was much more confident. I used that in my study with him. I started leaking my own personality into the person I had created for him. He didn't like it, because he found me too aggressive. I broke it off with him, and I was cold. I was a bitch. I used his line that he'd given to other woman. 'It's not you it's me.'"

Bella paused and pointed at a plastic cup on the table beside me. I grabbed it and helped her take a drink of water. She whispered her thanks, handing me the cup before continuing.

"He came back a few days later, begging me to take him back. I told him I couldn't and then I showed him his files. He was angry, of course. I didn't see him for almost a month. Then suddenly, he was there at my door asking me for help. He had slept with Sam's wife and felt horrible. He felt the guilt associated with his actions. He saw what he had become and hated himself for it."

"You helped him realize that there could be more to sex than just sex. And that sex can sometimes come with consequences."

She nodded. "He dated for a few months and he was much happier about it. Much more fulfilled. He developed feelings for a couple of women but he still couldn't find his match. Then the barbeque."

"That's where he met your cousin."

"Yes and the rest was history. I had no intentions to continue my study any longer, until Maria."

"Julian's wife?" I had no idea why I wanted to know these things, but I felt I had to know. I had to know if there really was a difference between them and me.

She nodded. "Maria was my roommate in college, and we took a few dance classes together. Julian was our dance instructor, and Maria's best friend. He made several passes at me, but I completely ignored him. I knew Maria had feelings for him and what he was – a player. Then one night Maria and I were on our way back to our apartment across campus when we were mugged.

"One of Julian's many girlfriends thought Maria and me were distractions. Her brother held me up and I had to watch my friend get beaten. Then it was my turn, the brother I think he wanted to do more to me," her breath caught, and I knew she was reliving those moments. My free hand clenched in a fist, wishing, even after everything, that I could find the asshole and hurt him. "I was knocked out, so I don't remember much, but someone found us before he could do anything. It was Julian's brother, David."

I looked at her noticing the pain and sadness in her eyes. "He took me home and we both helped Maria, since she refused to go to the hospital. Then David found my journals about Jacob. While Maria slept, he begged me to help his brother. I told him I couldn't do it again. That it takes too much time, and I had to work through college. My parents' life insurance was barely covering Jordan's medical expenses. He said he'd pay for all my monthly expenses."

"Maria?" I asked curiously.

"I couldn't do this without her consent, David and I told her. At first she was angry but a few days later she agreed. Julian didn't believe her when she told him who it was that beat her."

"Why did you ask my family for money, if you hadn't anyone else?"

She sighed, averting her eyes from mine. For a few moments she seemed to gather her thoughts. "You were the first that I asked for actual compensation and were going to be my last. I knew that you were going to be a handful. I had done research and you were the _worst_ case I had ever seen."

I nodded, not in understanding, but in agreement. "What about the location of your apartment and where you went to the gym?" I asked.

"That was a coincidence," she said, looking at me. "I had found my apartment weeks before taking your...case."

"I should hate you," I said firmly. The words however, burned in my mouth. Not even with the truth causing a hole in my chest to form, I couldn't fucking hate her.

"You should."

"I should be yelling at you now."

"You can." And I knew she'd allow me to, just like the night before. She felt she deserved it, but why?

Fuck, all of it was so damn confusing. I had no idea what was real and part of the charade. "Why am I not doing that?"

"I think it's because you're worried about me," she said quietly. I nodded. "You don't want to hurt me despite everything."

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, laying my head on the bed, her hand still in mine.

"If you need to go, then go, Edward. I won't force you to stay here," she whispered a light sob, escaping from her lips. I remained quiet. "Go home and sleep. I'll have them schedule surgery tomorrow. If you need to leave then go." Her fingers ran hand through my hair, in a gesture meant to soothe. Instead it was painful to know that we might never be together again. Not like before.

I sobbed lightly, causing her to do the same. "Do you love me, Bella?"

"I do."

A part of me believed her, but the other wondered if she'd record about that conversation in one of her fucking video journals. I nodded, quickly rising to my feet. For a moment I closed my eyes, unable to meet her eyes again. I knew if I had, I'd never leave. I bent forward, where I knew her face lay on the pillow, and kissed her forehead. I turned swiftly and fled the room, leaving her behind. In a show of extraordinary strength from Bella, I didn't hear her cry until I was down the hall. Even though I hadn't turned back, I knew Nessie and Alice went into the room after I left.

Jacob and Jasper attempted to stop me, but Carlisle stood between us, and motioned for me to leave.

"Fucking coward," Jacob hissed as I passed. And I was, because I had done it again. I left her, even though I knew in some way she was hurting over me. But I was hurting, too, and I needed to think – to breathe. Though a part me felt I'd never breathe again, not without her.

~oOo~

For over a week, I'd been running and swimming to the point of exhaustion daily. It was the only way to keep the dreams and nightmares at bay. Even then, more than once I'd woken up in a cold sweat.

I thought that leaving Seattle, that I'd be able to breathe again. However, it seemed futile without my fucking heart. It hadn't gotten easier, because I still couldn't breathe. All the more obvious when only several minutes earlier, during my last jog, I had bumped into little Becky again. The same little girl that Bella and I had found, while hiking near the falls.

"_Edward!" she cried out, wrapping her little arms around my leg. Her mother caught up with her and apologized._

"_It's fine. It's good to see you, Becky." I smiled down at her bright smile. She grinned and motioned for me to pick her up. I looked at her mother who nodded, indicating it was all right._

_I lifted Becky into my arms and she wrapped hers around my neck. "Where's Bella?" she asked, looking behind me, as if she expected Bella to be wherever I'd be. _

_I sighed but kept my smile. "She's at home, in Washington."_

"_She should be here with you, Edward."_

"_I agree," I told her honestly. And it was the truth, she should be with me. God, how I wanted her to be with me – for real._

"_So…" she trailed off._

"_So," I repeated, cocking an eyebrow in question. _

"_When's the wedding?"_

_I sighed and almost lost it then. I had tried to keep my emotions in check, but the pain I felt from her words lanced through me. _

"_We're not getting married, Becky."_

"_Yes, you are. You have to look, see, and listen."I looked at her curiously, wondering where I had heard those same words. She smiled, placing her tiny hands on my chest. "With your heart."_

When I returned to the beach house, I went straight to my laptop. It sat on an end table, taunting me secretly. I had to see. Pressing a button, I turned it on and noticed that there was a disc in it. I opened the drive, finding my CD file inside. On it, in Bella's script were the words, _look, see and listen. _

Placing it back in the drive, I waited for it to run and I clicked on the Daily Log file. Though I had seen the first few videos, and hated them, I needed to know. What? I had no clue. There was an entry for the same Friday we met, time stamped 2:32 in the morning. It was after we saw each other at the club where I had made a colossal asshole out of myself by being jealous of her with someone else.

I clicked on it.

In the video, Bella sat in front of the computer in a blue silk robe. "I got back from the club where I met Edward and his family. The night started like I thought it would. But I'm getting too close to Alice and Rosalie, they insisted on dinner. They asked the question everyone asks. Why I'm doing this? I refused to answer, because they didn't need to know why. They seem genuinely worried about me, but they have nothing to worry about. I'm a big girl."

She sighed and shook her head, smiling. "Now about Edward, there's something there I hadn't expected. No, that's not true. I had felt it the first time I'd met him. I just hadn't expected it to remain. When he arrived at the club, I could feel when he entered the room. _I felt him_. And hell, it fucking scares me. I brought in Mike, former subject number nine, and my client Tyler to help with me tonight. I had no intentions to use a complete stranger to grope me. It was only to see if Edward is capable of jealously or a need to protect me. I hadn't intended to so early, but he shown some with James and even Emmett."

Bella ran her fingers through her hair then continued. "I have to admit that I felt a twinge of jealously when he started to dance with someone else. However, he didn't take his eyes off of me. I liked it, a lot. It was the way he looked at me, causing chills throughout my body. I had to get off the dance floor before I did something stupid."

She smiled deliciously, a smile I'd seen countless times. "Like mount him," she said, laughing softly. I groaned, loving the idea of her doing that. "I left the dance floor, but had to touch him once at least. It was way too soon for me to show my hand so early, but I couldn't resist the urge. It was only a brush of my fingers across his strong back, but there was promise in that simple touch. I think he knew it, too." She rolled her eyes, cursing under breath, shivering visibly. I chuckled, no one could fake that shit.

"I left the dance floor and met a Strawberry Tart named Tanya. What the fuck was he thinking? How could he sleep with someone that would see him leave with woman after woman? A part of me refused to believe that he was that fucking cold-hearted. But his reaction showed no remorse, only worry about my reaction to her. I did some research on Tanya before, when I talked with David before about Edward and his family. I remembered her name from somewhere. She has a history of mental illness, and a patient of a local colleague. She may pose a threat, so I made arrangements with David. She'll no longer serve the Cullen's."

Tanya had a history of mental illness, fuck. I had no fucking idea. Christ, how many times had Alice warned me to ignore Tanya's flirting?

"Only as a precaution," Bella continued on the video. "Anyway, after a little chat with Edward, discussing what I knew about him, he tried to use a clever line. I almost fell for it. Unfortunately, his nose twitched. He's not ready to get too close, all in due time. We did dance, but I went too far, too fast. Fuck. I couldn't help myself. I never danced the way we did with a subject so soon." Bella sighed, shaking her head.

"I wanted more, thankfully Edward wanted a drink. After we sat with his family back in the VIP room, I decided to set the trap. I signaled Mike and Tyler. And I must admit that I was not expecting Edward's possessive nature to be unleashed after only a day. I thought the morning incident with James was nothing more than a territorial battle between them, like first dibs or something. Men! But at the club, Edward clearly showed that he didn't want me leaving with Mike and actually told me I couldn't go with him. We argued in the end, and he showed a touch of vulnerability. He was genuinely concerned but he didn't know why."

In the video, Bella rose to her feet and started to pace. "It's too soon to have him meet Jacob. Way too soon, because if he showed this much jealously with a stranger, I can't imagine what he'd do once he realizes that Jacob is an ex. I need to make a call to Jacob. I need to know more about what happened between them. Okay, that's enough for now, until Monday."

The video stopped and the player automatically went to the next video to Sunday's video. The day we seen each other at the gym. I clicked play.

She was pacing the room in her blue cotton shorts and black sports bra, fuck. "Oh God, I almost…shit. I just got back from what was supposed to be my first time in my new gym and who is there? He's there. Edward. Shit. I was not prepared for this encounter. I almost left. Jacob and Nessie were supposed to meet me for sparring, but they cancelled. Thank God. It would've been a disaster if he saw Jacob. Shit. Edward looked nothing short of breathtaking. I wanted to lick him. I'm fucking serious. I wanted to lick the sweat off his chest. Shit. I'm in too deep and it's been three damn days! I need to step away. I'll call Alice tomorrow after work and set up a meeting or something. I can't do this. He's… fuck. I'm _too_ attracted to him. I mean, it's happened before. There has always been a level attraction with the others before. But this is off the freaking charts."

She turned toward the camera, grabbing something from the side. She brought a bottle of water to her mouth, drinking deeply. I cursed my reaction to a supposedly simple act as I watched a trickle of water down her chin and onto her chest.

After she finished, she wiped her mouth with a few fingers. "Then I come to find out that we have another thing in common – sparring. Damn. I thought it would be a good thing to test his protective nature again. It worked when he thought he hurt me. He actually tried to comfort me, so there is some compassion in him, he was sweet. I wanted to see his competitive nature and see if he'd hold back because I was a woman. He had no problem showing off even against me. Good, but I was quick to show him what I was capable of. It surprised him when I mounted him." A smiled twitched at the corners of her mouth, looking wistful, lost to the memory. "He seemed impressed then and I noticed how much he liked me." Her lips lifted to a sweet smile. "I almost kissed him."

She wanted me as much as I wanted her. I continued to watch the videos. Monday's mentioned our lunch and that she had some suspicions about how Jacob just happened to show up when we were at lunch together. She also said she told my family that she wanted to quit, but they convinced her not to. She seemed reluctant to continue. She also indicated that we shared our first kiss too soon. She hadn't expected that I would destroy my sim card to date her. She explained how I was the first to successfully pass the Drunk Bella test.

Tuesday's consisted of our day together, including lunch and our encounter with Daniel.

"He seemed worried about me. Once again, his protective nature shined through. When we started to talk about last night, I found I couldn't lie to him. I told him the truth, that I tested him. I didn't tell him the whole reason I tested him, but he took it pretty well. We made arrangements for dinner at my place. Then there was Daniel. Edward actually threw a punch to protect me. I found it incredibly arousing, but it wasn't necessary. Daniel was already scared to death." She made a note somewhere off screen, muttering something about making notes in Daniels' file.

"We shared an intimate dinner together where I fed him because of his hurt hand. Honestly, I wanted to have a reason to stare at his mouth. The night progressed nicely, and I was happy to give him a little dance. Once again, I have to note, a reminder. I'm in way too deep. I'm…" she shook her head and fanned herself.

"I like him. I like him a lot. The way he looked at me drove me insane so I let myself give in. I wanted him so bad, and if it wasn't for my brother's phone call, I would've given in completely. I have no idea what would've happened if we had slept together. Would he have tossed me aside?" In the video, her smile fell and she wrapped her arms around her chest and knees. "I'm scared."

I watched all the videos for the rest of the week. Until Friday morning after I left to get ready at my place before we left to work. The day we left for the falls.

"This is Bella Swan. Subject Edward Cullen will be my last subject. After I speak with his family on Saturday, the case will be officially closed. I won't allow them to talk out of it. The reason for closing this case, I love him. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with him and in less than a week. I see something in his eyes. I think he feels the same or maybe he's almost there, but he's not ready to admit it. I hope he does this weekend. Today I will give my heart to him. If after this weekend, he chooses to still toss me aside I will…oh God –" She sobbed, tears falling from her eyes as she reached to turn off the camera.

I ran the fingers through my hair. She loved me. _She loves me. _Why would she pretend on a video? She wouldn't. Would she? There was one more video. The night I left her after Tanya almost killed her.

Bella sat in her bed, this time she used her laptop. Her eyes red and puffy from crying, wiping as more tears fell. "He's gone. He left. Why did he leave me? I let him. I didn't even fight him after what happened with Tanya. I let him leave because at least he's leaving still in love with me. If he knew the truth – if I told him he'd hate me. At least this way, I know he loves me.

"I found out something Friday. Jacob and Alice had planned this. They wanted Edward and me to fall in love. The entire family had motives, and I knew it when I started this. But those two made sure to move it along faster. The gym that first time, Jacob canceled because Alice had called that Edward was going to the gym and that was the same one I went to. They knew Edward wouldn't resist the chance to talk to me. Sparring had intensified our physical relationship faster. Then that Monday, where Edward and I had lunch together, Emmett had called Alice to tell her. Alice made Jacob bump into us, which caused Edward's jealously to surface, which in turn made him want me more. Even fucking Margarita Monday was planned. They didn't tell Edward I was coming, and I hadn't known he was. Even Wednesday was planned. They planned it all.

"I am so fucking angry. If they hadn't had interfered then maybe Edward and I would've met on our own terms. Perhaps we would've bumped into each other at the club, or the gym even work. I had already had planned on contacting Esme about my project and foundation." For a few minutes I watched as she cried. "I love him and now I have to let him go."

The video ended, and the anger coursed through me harshly. I threw my computer against the wall. My family tried to _fix_ me and I may have lost the only chance at love. They not only broke me, but her, too.

Would she recover? Did she hate me now? _Does she love me?_

There were so many fucking emotions, and so much pain and anger. And it was all because my family fucking meddled with my life, our lives. They sent me the woman of my dreams to break my heart so that I'd learn my lesson. Instead they broke two souls, who were going to be tied together for the rest of our lives because of a child. I'd have to endure the fucking pain for the rest of my life. And I had no doubt that I'd never recover from this. I know I'd love our baby with everything in me. But there was Bella.

Bella. _Does she love me? _The video indicated she had. _Why do I still doubt it?_ Slowly, I rose to my feet and walked up to my mother's painting. I stared at it, trying to get myself to settle down.

The last time I stood there, Bella was beside me. I shared my thoughts and memories of my past with her. She laughed and cried with me, and I loved her then. Had she? I opened the safe and pulled out our picture from what seemed like a lifetime ago.

They say that a picture was worth a thousand words. Looking at our picture, the delicate features of her face and the look in our eyes, there was only one word that picture invoked in me – love.

I had to go home, to Bella. I ran through the house, stuffing clothes in my bag. Then I called the pilot as I readied the house for me to leave. I left a message with Ruth that I had to leave suddenly, and that I needed her to clean up my mess and take whatever food I had there.

Less than a few hours later, I returned home. Once I was on the tarmac, I turned on my cell phone, finding my voicemail box and text messages were full. I listened to the last message as I got into my car that I left in the long-term parking.

"Edward, I know you're ignoring your messages," Jasper said quietly, as if he was afraid he'd be overheard. What the fuck was going on? "But you need to get back here. Bella is not doing well. She's…fuck. She's going to be fucking committed into the psyche ward. If you fucking love her, you need to get her out of here." I checked the time and it was only from an hour earlier.

Fuck. I flew toward the hospital, and once I reached it, I ignored my family as I strode to her room. Carlisle and Alice were talking amongst themselves as a doctor looked Bella over.

My body automatically walked to her. Bella's eyes were blank and wide open. She lay on her side, staring at the ceiling. It was if she wasn't aware of anyone in the room. She closed herself up as she had done dozens of times after Daniel's suicide.

"How long has she been like this?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Since you left, Edward," Alice whispered from behind me.

My fists clutched at my sides, fucking hell. "You could've fucking went to look for me." Had I known, I would've returned in a heartbeat. No matter the pain I'd been in.

Alice ignored me. "After surgery, she stopped eating and has been like this. No one can get her to snap out of it."

"She's a danger to her and the baby, we're waiting for a bed upstairs," the doctor indicated.

"She's going be taken care of upstairs, son." Carlisle said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I jerked my shoulder away from him.

"We're just trying to do what's best for her," Alice said.

"By having her fucking committed. Are _you _crazy? That will kill her," I growled. I had enough of their fucking help. She had enough of their fucking help. I swept Bella up in my arms, thankful that she no longer had an IV in her hand.

"Sir, you can't take her like this," the doctor said.

I glared at him. "Like hell I can't. Try to fucking stop me."

"Who the hell are you?" the doctor said as I turned toward the door, walking out into the hallway. My family watched us as I continued toward the exit.

"Her fiancé."

"Edward, think about what you're doing." Alice pleaded as I made it to the car. I managed to open my door with the tips of my fingers. I took a moment to look at Bella; her face was still blank, staring up at the darkening sky.

"Son, she needs to stay in the hospital for her and the baby's health," Carlisle said in a calm voice as I placed Bella in the passenger seat.

"You've all done enough" I hissed. "I saw the video journal when she found out she was played too. If you hadn't have interfered, we would've met on _our_ terms." I closed the door after I secured Bella in her seat.

Alice shook her head. "We were just trying to help you both." I opened my door, looking at Jacob and Nessie and along with a few members of my family. I climbed in my car, but lowered the window and glared at them all.

"Fuck off, Alice. I can take care of _my_ family."

* * *

**AN: Phew, that was tough. **


	26. Left Behind

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Six – Left Behind**

* * *

**Bella before Edward left**

"Do you love me, Bella?" he asked warily, seemingly afraid of the answer. How could he doubt me? No one could feign what we had. I had thought I made myself clear, every confession of love to him, sincere.

"I do," I answered, imploring him to see the truth in my eyes. Though his eyes meet mine, I could see the devastation the truth had brought to him. _See the truth, Edward. _I loved him and I knew I always would. A part of me feared that he might not have felt the same for me in the light of his discovery. I feared he'd leave me and our baby, when we needed him.

I heard him sigh and his feet shift on the floor. Oh God – no! The moment he rose to his feet, I knew of his decision. Feeling lost, hollow, a fucking husk of my former self, I feel the press of his lips on my forehead lingered for the briefest of moments.

And then he was gone. I waited a length of a few beats of my heart, before I released a strangled sob.

He left me. He was gone. Though I deserved that, our baby didn't. In a way it showed me that love wasn't enough. And that every time things got tough between us, he'd run. That sealed the fucking deal.

It was over. I would not cry another tear for someone who'd leave me in this type of situation again. Once was enough. Once was too much. Fuck him. _We_ don't need him. _Keep lying to yourself, you've done it before. _

Alice walked in shortly after he left and when she looked at me, she gasped. At first I wasn't sure what she saw that caused that reaction, but I realized it when she spoke.

"Just give him time, Bella."

Ah, I looked fucking pissed. I shook my head. "No."

"Bella, please you have to understand –"she started, but I cut her off.

"Oh, I understand that he's fucking hurting. I understand it perfectly. He feels betrayed and probably fucking abandoned." I ran my free hand over my face and into my hair, tugging at it lightly. "Well guess what, so do I. He did some awful fucking things tonight. He went too damn far with that earring stint. Then he comes here just to leave again, even after I tell him about his baby. No, Alice it's fucking over. Even if he's willing to forgive me, doesn't mean I will."

_Liar. _Damn, my heart even knew there was a sliver of a lie in my words.

I closed my eyes and tried to remain calm before I exploded and let all my anger out. I had to, because I had more to worry about than just myself. I had to prepare myself for what was to come. I needed surgery, to recover, and then needed to tie up loose ends here. Then I was gone, I couldn't remain in Seattle. If Edward wanted to be a part of our baby's life he'd have to make the first move.

"_You know he will." _No matter how angry I was, a part of me knew he wouldn't abandon our child, not after what happened with his parents. I also knew that this – the baby and our failed relationship – was what he feared most. Something he had always avoided before I had come into his life.

His feelings about this were no longer my concern. He left, and he'd probably do it again. Why make it harder by staying in Seattle? In three months I'd be touring for my latest book. I mentally calculated how much money I could get together by the end of my tour. I wasn't going to come back to Seattle.

**Jordan **

It was fucking late and my God damn cell phone was ringing. I looked at my alarm clock and groaned at the time. I picked up my phone and noticed it was Jacob. I answered, "It's three in the damn morning, there better be a good reason."

"Bella's the hospital, Jordan," his voice said firmly with no hint of humor.

He wasn't fucking with me. My baby sister was in the hospital. "Why, Jacob?"

"Her iron hit practically rock bottom again and she's having a transfusion."

That made sense, since it had happened before a few years previously. Nessie had to take her to the hospital once when she visited Bella in California. "How serious is she right now?" I sat up, using my upper body strength on the headboard of the bed and turned on the light, causing Julie to stir beside me.

"I'm not sure how bad, but they'll be keeping her over night. Um, Jordan there's more. She has to have surgery."

I sighed. Bella had explained to us last year that her fibroids were out of control and that she'd soon have to consider a hysterectomy. She didn't want to because she wanted children eventually. We all felt so bad for her, she went through this depression period and we practically forced her to move here.

"All right, Julie and I will head up there. We decided to stay at a local hotel nearby. Which hospital are you at?"

A little over an hour later Julie and I were greeting Edward's family and Bella's friends in the waiting room. I didn't think anything about the fact that Edward wasn't sitting in the waiting room. He had to be with Bella, obviously.

I maneuvered my chair toward her room which Alice pointed out to me, though something in her eyes told me things were worse than I thought. I needed to see for myself though. Quickly, I rolled in and found my sister, lying on the bed, tiny and frail. I groaned internally. I fucking hated seeing her like this. It reminded me so much of the times when she'd close herself off the rest of the world.

She once told me what happens when that happened. When she explained, I understood why it was so hard to come back to reality. It was her perfect world.

The last time she closed herself up; she was with my parents, who were still alive. I'd been walking, and Brianna happily married with two kids running around. It was her vision of what her life should be like. If I hadn't gone and fucked it up.

Instead she was lying on that hospital bed. For some reason, a flash of pain etched her face in her sleep. And I knew she was reliving something. The problem was what? There were so many bad memories to relive; my almost lifeless body, Brianna shooting herself, losing our parents on our birthday and the loss of Daniel, a patient. Any one of those occurrences would send anyone else into a spiraling depression. Not my sister though, but I sometimes wondered if it was all an act.

I rolled closer to the bed, careful not to run something over or bump into it. I sat as close as I could beside her and brushed her pale cheek with the back of my hand.

"Baby sister," I whispered, with no intention of waking her up. I wanted her to rest. She had a big day the following morning, with surgery, but I wanted to know she was all right.

"Only by three minutes, bro," she said softly, but with a bit of cheek. I chuckled and brushed an errand strand of hair from her forehead.

"Ah, sleeping beauty awakens," I teased gently. I used to call her that all the time, and she hated it. She never was into the whole princess and girly business, but she wasn't a morning person at all. I blamed being surrounded by Dad, Jacob—when we let the poor bastard—and Jasper, she had the tom boy personality during our childhood.

Mom tried to put her in dresses when she was younger, but by the end of the day her stockings would be torn and her dress full of mud. She loved to _try_ to play baseball and football with us. We always let her have a homerun or a touchdown.

God, I missed those days. Not because I could walk and run back then, but because Bella once loved me unconditionally. The slight look of pain in her eyes hadn't been there every time she looked at me then either. When she looked at me since the shooting, she saw my bloody body and Brianna's. I hadn't thought about how much it affected her, at least not the part about me. She had confessed to me about it shortly after a catatonic spell she had a few years ago.

"Hey, what has you thinking so hard, Jordan?" Damn, she always knew when something was bothering me. It was like a sixth sense of hers, because of it, I could never lie to her. If I even tried, she would see right through me.

"Just thinking about old times, sis," I said somewhat cryptically. I kissed her forehead, procuring a wide smile from her. There was the Bella I knew.

I smiled back, feeling a little better about her. If she smiled, she would be okay soon enough. It was then, that I realized something. "Where's, Edward?" I thought he would be there, in fact in the very chair I sat on.

She let out a strangled sob but shook her head and tried to push back her pain. Why the fuck was she in pain? What the fuck did that bastard do to my sister? She must have caught what I was thinking. I was one to always wear my emotions on my face.

"Calm down." She squeezed my hand briefly. "Going after him isn't going to change anything," she said quietly, biting into her lower lip. She only did that when she was nervous. "Not sure I'd want him to come back anyway."

"What happened?" Edward was the first person I saw her really open up to; I thought that she had found the one meant for her. Not even Jacob had given her the look of pure contentment and happiness that Edward brought her. What could have possibly ruined the pure and obvious love they had for each other?

**Bella **

My brother sat in his chair, looking a combination of worry and anger. No doubt the latter was aimed toward Edward. However, it wasn't what I wanted. Edward's anger was warranted and I deserved it. I knew what I had to do as I laid there before Jordan. I caused him so much pain, and it was only going to get worse.

I sat there and asked him not to interrupt me. He nodded, but I could see the questions in his eyes. I proceeded to tell him everything. I started with Jacob and how this all began, then I worked my way up to Julian, Mark, Daniel, Chris, Reese, Jared, William, and Mike. Jordan sat there quietly; his emotions never crossed his face, which was very unusual for him. He seemed still as a statue.

"Edward was going to be my last subject," I said softly, fidgeting with my fingers on my lap. "Alice called me and set up a meeting. He was my worst case. I wanted to do this for his family. They were so worried about him. Frankly, I was worried more about them at the time. His actions affected all of them in some way. So I took his case. The only problem was I was instantly attracted to him. I should have stepped away from the case right then and there. But I didn't. I think I mainly wanted to see what we could become, and I feared what would happen once I told him the truth. I fell in love with him in a week, maybe less. I closed the case with his family and even returned the money."

I sighed and took a few deep breaths. I proceeded to tell him why the truth hadn't come out sooner and how Edward found out. I mentioned the Gala, but not specifics. I had no idea how he'd handle what Edward had done at the Gala. Despite my anger toward Edward, I didn't want Jordan hating him unjustly.

"He came here, after his family told him I was in the hospital and that it was serious. But he couldn't handle it, I think. Maybe he needed time, so he left."

Jordan let out deep breath and averted his eyes from mine. I hated when he did that, since it was my only way to decipher what he was thinking.

"Alice and Jacob said there are some complications with your surgery tomorrow."

I sniffled a little, not realizing I'd been crying. With a swipe of my hand across my cheek, I felt the moisture there. I thought I'd been all cried out after Daniel died and Edward's departure. Apparently, I wasn't. I nodded to confirm what Jordan had said. His eye met mine, waiting for more.

"I'm pregnant," I said.

Jordan's eyes flashed with anger. "You cheated on him," he sneered.

"No!" _God, does everyone think I'm some kind of whore now?_

Jordan took several deep breaths. He looked up at me and opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut. Several more times, he had done that, wanting to say something. He was at a complete loss for words it seemed.

"I have to go," he said firmly and wheeled around and left.

And just like that, one of the two most important men in my life had left me after the first had done the same. I understood their reasons. They left me, they left me, I repeated, a litany in my already confused mind. After everything I had done, after all the love I poured into both of my relationships with them. They still chose to leave me, I guessed I deserved it. I succumbed to sleep a while later. I needed to rest. I needed to get through the following day, at the very least.

~oOo~

I felt someone wrap a blood pressure monitor around my arm, the harsh sound Velcro interrupting my sleep. "Ms. Swan, we're going to start prepping you for surgery, now."

I nodded and allowed the nurses and doctors do what needed to be done. I heard Edward's family all tell me that they loved me. They hadn't abandoned me – yet. I asked, "Has he called?" They knew who I was talking about.

"No, sweetheart," Carlisle answered, placing a kiss on my cheek before they wheeled me into the operation room. Edward hadn't even call to check on me. I still couldn't find it in myself to hate him.

"Bella, I'm going to start administering your anesthesia. Start counting backward from a hundred."

With my eyes already closed to the bright lights overhead, I felt something being placed over my face. I felt both of my arms laid to each side of me, my IV a constant itch in my hand. There was a soft sound from the whir of machines around me, the insistent sound of the beeps from others.

I nodded, acknowledging the man who spoke to me. "Hundred…ninety-nine…" I felt something cloud my vision. "Ninety-eight, ninety-seven, ninety- six," then the darkness fell over my eyes and I welcomed it.

~oOo~

I felt weightless. I felt like I was floating, but I wasn't really aware of what was going on. A distant voice was the only thing that broke through the fogginess. "He's ignoring all our calls. He's gone. He took the jet to California." I stopped listening. It wasn't something I wanted to listen to, a reminder of what I lost.

The next thing I knew, I sat, wrapped up in a warm blanket curled up on my couch. When I felt someone poke my arm beside me, chuckling, I jumped up a bit.

"You seemed lost there for a second, love." Edward smiled his crooked smiled and laughed again as my lost expression.

_What is he doing here? _I couldn't place the feeling of grief and loss. I shouldn't be upset, because I was happy. I smiled at him and shook my head.

He returned his attention to the TV and laughed. "Are you going to be that bitchy like Rachel, when you turn thirty?" He looked at me with a delectable smirk.

I glared at him, mockingly. "You're turning thirty first, fucker."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Don't bother me one bit."

"And why is that, champ?" I asked, laying my head on his shoulder.

"Well, I have accomplished everything I wanted to already. And few more things I hadn't expected." He grinned, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead.

"And what were those unexpected things?" I smiled, already knowing the answer. But it was still nice to hear.

"Well let's see. I didn't expect to fall madly in love with this gorgeous brunette. I didn't expect to marry her in less than a year after meeting her. I also didn't expect to be a daddy."

I grinned as he placed his hands on the little baby bump I had. I was already five months pregnant but I was barely showing. His large hands started rubbing my tummy in soothing circles.

He shifted so that, he was sitting on his knees in front of me, singing to our little girl. "You're my sunshine on a cloudy day."

I felt tears spill from my eyes as I watched the love of my life serenade my tummy. After completing the song, he kissed my stomach a few times and whispered that he loved his little girl and her mommy so much. I laughed at him and ran my fingers through his hair.

"I don't know why she's just staring off like that," I heard Alice say, distantly. "Is this what she's like when she goes into catatonic state?"

I looked around the room wondering where she came from and where she was hiding. What the hell was she talking about?

"What's the matter, love?" Edward asked, pulling me onto his lap. His hands were already making the thought of Alice leave my mind. I shook my head. I didn't know. I guess I was hearing things.

I shook it off and wrapped my arms around my husband's neck. I kissed his forehead and each of his cheeks. I continued to place small butterfly kisses everywhere on his angelic face and then along his jaw and down his neck.

"Love, you're undermining my control," he protested feebly.

"I want you to lose control, you brute." I grinned as I saw the flash of lust fill his eyes.

"You really shouldn't have said that," he said in a low seductive voice. I couldn't help the delicious shiver that ran straight from the top of my head all the way to the tips of my toes.

I yelped from the sudden movement as he lifted me in his arms and ran to the bedroom. I giggled the whole way, tugging on his hair just the way he liked. I licked the shell if his ear and earned a sexy deep groan.

I grinned mischievously when he gave me a glare, but he just placed me gently on the bed. I shook my head, jumping off the bed and ran to the lonely brown leather Tantra chair that sat in the corner of our bedroom.

He grinned at me and cocked his eyebrows suggestively. _That's right, tiger. I want a ride._

At some point I had fallen asleep, since the next thing I awoke to breakfast in bed. I smiled as my handsome husband fed me some fruit, loving the heated look in his eyes. For some reason, the strawberries sort of tasted off, but I ignored it. It was then when I heard a distant voice, as Edward placed a piece of fruit against my lips.

"She's barely eating," I heard Nessie whisper from behind me. "If I don't feed her, she doesn't eat."

"Did you hear that?" I asked, looking at Edward.

He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Hear what, love?" I looked around the room, I couldn't figure out where her voice had come from. _Am I hearing things?_ Edward, clearly on a mission to distract me, started to nibble on my neck, forcing everything outside of us to disappear.

Days passed in wonderful bliss. I was so thankful that we decided to take some time off to ourselves. We spent most of the time in our apartment, alone, spent together in various states of undress and laziness. It was fucking amazing and I loved every minute of it.

We returned to work, loving every aspect of my job. In my position, I found that I was finally doing what I really wanted to do—helping others. I still had my practice and my books, but I was helping people and reaching so many, thanks to Cullen and Cullen Inc.

I looked around my office and loved the pleasant beach like color scheme that Alice and Esme had it decorated in. We all agreed that we needed sponsors and donators to feel relaxed when they came to see me. It helped a lot, since funding seemed to coming easy. Though I felt that had more to do with the generosity of those associated with the company.

The groundbreaking for the second shelter was the following week, so I decided to work on my speech. I looked up when I heard a knock on my door. When I checked the time, I realized that I wasn't expecting anyone for a meeting. And Eleanor, my secretary hadn't announced anyone.

That left only one conclusion – Edward. The sneaky ass, he'd been insatiable since we found out we were pregnant. Then again, he had been insatiable since the start of our relationship. _Not that I'm going to complain. _I grinned and decided to make him wait. He knocked again, a little more urgently.

"Come in," I said firmly. Since I knew it was him, I hadn't looked up. As he entered, I felt his presence nearby, and I heard the click of the lock. I internally smirked. _Work for it, fucker. _I heard the gentle flutter of the window blinds as they closed, one by one. He wanted privacy for whatever he had in mind. I had doubts that it included business. The jerk. _Sexy Jerk. Yeah, I'm insatiable, too. Who could blame me? _

"B, please you have to snap out of it," Jasper pleaded in my ear. I felt lips press on my forehead from some unknown source. _What the hell? Holy fuck, I'm losing it. _I felt warm breath against the back of my neck as Edward brushed my hair aside. His lips distracted me enough for Jasper's disembodied voice to be shoved to the back of my mind.

"Mrs. Cullen, do you have time for me now? Or should I make an appointment?" Edward whispered in my ear.

I tried to bite back the grin that threatened to make an appearance. "Well my time is valuable, Mr. Cullen. You should have considered calling to make an appointment rather assuming. I might've been in a meeting."

He growled against the skin, taking a small bite. I yelped softly, earning a chuckle. Though I leveled him a glare, I was greeted with bright excited green eyes. I couldn't even pretend to be mad at him. My fingers curled at the back of his neck, pulling his mouth against my own. With a guttural groan, Edward fell to his knees in front of me. Unable to resist the prone position, I tugged his hair to bring him closer. His hands started to roam up my legs to take a hold of my hips. I moaned when I felt his fingers tease me beneath my skirt.

He started to pull back, but I tugged him closer. "Mmm, someone's greedy today," he said smugly. I growled against his smirk, taking over the kiss, deepening it. It was a good way to get him to stop talking. _This isn't the time for talking, champ. _

His glorious hands undid the buttons of my jacket and blouse quickly. My hands slid from his hair and glided over his sinuous arms and chest. One by one, I slipped each button off, knowing that he'd get impatient. Sure enough, within moments, he loosened and removed his tie. However, I refused to be rushed, slowing my fingers along his buttons.

That pissed him off. Glaring at me, he stood up and stripped down to his boxers in record time. I cocked my eyebrows at him, grinning. "Looks like I'm not the only one greedy." I bit my lip and smirked.

Edward playfully growled and pounced. Fingers curled around my hips, lifting me onto my desk. His hands hurried and bunched my skirt up around my waist, tearing my favorite blue panties from me. Before I could protest, he thrust two fingers inside me. Forgetting myself, I threw my head back and moaned deeply. His hand fell over my mouth, Edward's eyes dark and hooded.

When I nodded, thanking him silently for reminding me that I had to be quiet, he started on my neck. Nipping and licking at me, we worked together to remove my blouse and bra. The moment my breasts were exposed, Edward groaned, bent forward and took one of my pebbled nipples into his warm mouth.

My hips moved to the same rhythm he set with his long fingers. I moaned in pleasure as he was quickly brought me to the brink. I held on to his strong arms as I felt the tightening in my abdomen coil, ready to spring. Before I let go, his wonderful lips descended on mine, stifling my scream.

Edward allowed me to catch my breath for a few moments, resting my head on his chest. I felt his whole body shake slightly. The ass was laughing, I looked up at him and sure enough that smug ass look of his was upon his face. He loved to watch me let go, plus it was like a pat on his back. Ass.

_Ah, I'll let it go this time. _My hands trailed down his chest and down the trail of dark hair that led to…_Oh what did we have here? _He groaned, bucking his hips toward me. He threw his head back, his breath ragged, eyes closed as I stroked him. Unable to resist him any longer – when was I resisting – I pushed his boxers down. His cock sprang free, eliciting a sigh of relief from Edward. To tease him further, I only allowed the tip to touch me. He growled and swatted my hands away and he thrust hard inside me.

I moaned and propped myself on my hands behind me. He wasn't having any of that shit; he always wanted me as close as possible. Edward wrapped my arms around his neck, grasped my hips, and whispered, "Hold on."

I groaned and nodded, wanting to move against him. He lifted me off the desk and he stood up straight. Even though he barely moved, the angle and deep penetration was glorious. Using his upper body strength, he held me and had me wrap my legs around him. I realized what he was doing and knew it would be amazing. With our eyes locked on each other, he lifted me up then slammed me back down. We both grunted and groaned.

God, he was strong. All while standing, he kept up with his lifting and slamming my body down on him. After several minutes, he somehow managed to walk to the door of my personal bathroom and pushed me up against it. His mouth closed over mine, his soft, warm tongue, caressing against mine.

Edward pounded into me over and over again. I felt the coil again and it sprung. To keep from screaming out loud, I bit into his shoulder. He was relentless. He kept going and going. It reminded me so much of something, but I couldn't remember what. His fingers gripped me tightly, likely causing bruises. I couldn't bring myself to care, it felt fucking glorious.

His groans and grunts became huskier and more frequent. He was close. I wanted him to reach the high we could only bring to each other. I started to lick his neck and his ear. I whispered, "Come for me."

He grunted and slammed into two more times then I felt him still and fill me. I threw my head back, reaching another peak and falling over it. With a soft, but satisfied smile, Edward carried me into the bathroom. Once he sat me on the counter, he took the time to clean me up. The simple act caused him to get hard again.

"Sorry," I said softly. "But I have a meeting with someone in about fifteen minutes. So this," I grabbed his hardening cock, "is going to have to play nice until we get home." He groaned and pouted. I shook my head and kissed his pout.

"I love you, Bella," he said softly, pressing a kiss to my lips.

"I l…"

"You're not having her committed, Nessie," Jasper said angrily. _Who the fuck was getting committed? _I looked at Edward who was all smiles as he laid kisses at my exposed neck.

"Bella," he whispered. He looked confused, no that look in his eyes was worry. Did he hear Jasper, too? Edward took my face in his hands; his face was etched with worry. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, looking into my eyes. His hands roamed over my body, when he found nothing wrong, his hands stopped at my stomach.

"My baby," he whispered. For some reason, the way he said that, scared me.

~oOo~

Days passed and I finally looked like I was pregnant. My feet were sore from my last work out. I wanted to stay as healthy as possible, so I signed up for special trainer during pregnancy. I was taking my vitamins and my iron. It was all so important to make sure our baby was healthy.

The thing that hadn't help was my cravings. Poor Edward, it was three-thirty in the morning and I insisted on Chinese food. _Was there a place open this late?_ I had no idea. At one point, I must've dozed off on the couch as I waited for him to return when I swore I heard him.

"How long has she been like this?" It was Edward, but he sounded angry and distant. There were ghostly whispers of other voices but all I heard was Edward. _Why can't I open my eyes?_

"…committed. Are you crazy? That will kill her." Edward was still angry. Why was he angry? I wanted to cry. I couldn't get to him, to calm him. I couldn't hold him. "Her fiancée," he growled. Fiancée? Why was he calling himself that? I was his wife, he was my husband. What the fuck was going on?

I felt myself floating still unable to see. _Why can't I see? _I heard the menace in his voice. "Fuck off, Alice. I can take care of my family."

Disoriented, I awoke the following morning. Edward was sitting beside me in nothing but his boxers with a big grin on his face. "I know that look. You did something bad didn't you?" Edward looked at me innocently, even batting his long lashes, feigning ignorance.

I rolled my eyes. He grinned one more time and lifted me off the bed before I could stop him. He carefully placed me on the couch, and proceeded to play some classical music. Edward turned, holding something for me. It looked familiar a red leather box. I cocked an eyebrow in question.

"It's not that big of a deal, I swear," he said warily. "It's something I think you deserve. You've done so much for me." He kissed my lips and knelt in front of me, placing the little box on my knees.

When I opened the box, I gasped. Inside were beautiful diamond earnings. However, it wasn't a gasp of surprise or even happiness. It was a gasp a pain. They looked familiar for a reason. I knew that reason.

I'd been kidding myself. They weren't real, for this wasn't real. I looked up at my Edward. He looked so happy and so full of love. He wasn't my Edward. The music playing was another reminder that this wasn't real. The earrings, a reminder of what I have done.

Edward caressed my tummy and whispered his love to me and our unborn child. _This_ was a reminder that Edward would never do that. He didn't love me enough, because he left, not only me, but our child, too. None of it was real. I kissed my Edward tenderly and he returned it eagerly. Before I allowed it to pull me back into the dream, I pulled away. It was time for me to awaken.

**Edward**

Talk about hardcore shock therapy. Sitting beside me was the love of my life. Bella sat, staring out the window with soulless eyes. It was what my rash decisions had done to those I loved the most.

We finally arrived at her building and I managed to carry her up to her apartment. No questions were asked by security; my guess was that someone had notified them of her hospital stay. Once I reached our apartment, I sat her down on the couch in the living room.

She hadn't stirred, remaining terribly silent. I brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. Nothing changed in her eyes or her face on the drive back from the hospital. I whispered to her continually that I loved her and that I was sorry for leaving her, but she hadn't uttered a word.

Dressed in a terrible hospital gown and little white panties, I knew she would want to change. I picked her up and walked into the bed room. Her hair was damp; they must have bathed her at the hospital. I found her favorite pair of yoga pants and a tank top, dressing her quickly. When she still hadn't said or given me reason to believe that she had come back to me, I carried her back to the living room.

Placing her down on the couch, I knelt down in front of her and took her face in my hands. Her eyes were blank, emotionless. Not what I was used to. I hated that look. I hated seeing her like that. _I did this to her. Again._ After I promised I wouldn't leave her again. After I promised I would listen when I was ready to hear the truth. After she told me that she loved me. I still chose to walk away.

I had done that to her. How could I think that she didn't love me? It has been written all over her face. It had been in her eyes, in her touch, in every kiss and in every breath of ecstasy when she was in my arms.

I left her. I broke my promises, and I broke her. Not once did she tell me that she didn't love me. Not once did she tell me that she had to leave. Not once did she walk away from me.

With her face still in my hands, her eyes started to fill with tears. I had no idea why she was starting to cry suddenly. It scared me, as a sob escaped her lips. "It's not real," she whispered. Her eyes softened, glazed from her tears.

"Baby, I'm here," I said, kissing her forehead.

Bella shook her head, and then I felt her hands on my chest. She pushed me away. I shook my head and went back to her, but she pushed me away again. No! Before I could beg her to let me hold her, she jumped off the couch. She walked toward her bedroom and looked around the room as if she was lost.

Following closely, so fucking scared of the look of despair in her eyes. She appeared to be looking for something. She let out strangled sob and fell to her knees. "It wasn't real!" she screamed, clutching her hair, her body rocking back and forth.

I had no idea what she was talking about but I knelt behind her, wrapping my arms around her. She sobbed uncontrollably in my arms. I sobbed with her, unable to hold back. I hurt her, too much. I'd broken her.

She started to sing softly, in between the sobs that shuddered through her body. "You're my sunshine on a cloudy day." Over and over again, but I had no idea why. I wanted to know, but she wouldn't answer any of my questions. I tried to sing along with her but she only cried harder. I had no idea why! I was at a lost on what to do for her.

Time seemed to have lost all relevance, I had no idea how long we sat there on the floor. Pain barely registered in my knees from being on them for so long. The only that broke through my senses was the broken woman in my arms.

She mumbled something, but I couldn't make out. "What?" I whispered in her ear, my lips ghosting over her skin.

"I hate you."

I stiffened around her and I felt my heart break. _I'm too late. _I'd done too much damage. "I'm sorry, Bella." She shook her head but didn't say anything. We both remained quiet for several more minutes before I felt her squirm in my grip.

After I loosened my hold on her, and she stood up on shaky legs. She continued to try to push me away, but I didn't allow her to leave the iron grip of my arms. I needed to hold her, and I knew deep down she needed me to hold her. Within moments the fight left her and she slumped in my arms.

"Love," I whispered.

She whimpered, "Don't."

I tried to broach a different subject and I was curious. "Tell me where you went."

"To an alternate universe where we were both happy and married," she replied softly. "Where you wanted me, our baby and you sang to my tummy every day." Her usually sweet and sensual voice was hoarse and low, cracking with small sobs.

Suddenly, she clutched my shirt and screamed against my chest. I felt as tear after tear left her eyes, but I held her tighter. Her hands pushed at me, time and time again. When I didn't let her go, she pounded my chest, and still I held her. I wanted her to let it out. She needed it. I needed it.

"You left me! You left us! How could you? When I needed you the most, you left us!"

With one final hard push against me, I stumbled away from her. Her face was back to the same pained look I'd seen when I Googled her. The same one from the news footage of when she was held by her father after Brianna's death. The same face she had as my sister carried her away at the Gala and when I left her a week previously. The same expression she had that would be forever etched in my memory.

Her hand shot up and she grabbed the wall for support. When I stepped toward her, her grave voice made it clear she didn't or want my assistance. Slowly she made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

After a moment I heard her get sick, retching terribly. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, and moments later I found her sprawled on the floor.

She looked up at me. "Reality sucks. I didn't get sick in my world." _Sounds fucking perfect, love. No wonder you didn't want to leave. _She held up her hand, asking for help. After I helped her to her feet, she took the glass from me and sipped some water.

She looked in the mirror over the sink and touched her cheeks. "God, I look like shit." Averting her gaze, she grabbed her toothbrush. Then her stomach growled. "Ugh…I guess I'm hungry," she said sheepishly.

I grinned, hoping to entice one from her. She didn't smile back, but kept her eyes on me. "I'll make you something." She nodded and returned her attention on getting cleaned up. I sighed and closed the door behind me. I walked into the kitchen.

Had I been hearing things? Hadn't she said she hated me? She had hit me over and over again, though that barely compared to what she must feel. Her mood swings and anger were all over the place. Not that I didn't understand that. I felt so many different emotions since I picked up. There was anger, confusion, love, and doubt – so much doubt.

God, what if she was pretending again? I didn't want to pretend anymore. I wanted us to be real. I _needed _us to be real.

I took out a few things to make omelets like she taught me. Moments later, I felt her enter the kitchen, pulling out a cutting board and took out a knife to chop the other ingredients. I sighed. Had she any idea how good it felt to do something so simple and normal for us?

"What day is it?" she asked.

"It's December twentieth, love," I said calmly.

"Please don't call me that." We continued for a few more minutes, preparing everything. "One week is the longest spell I've had since Brianna died."

"Do they happen often?" I knew of the short spells she had after Daniel died, but I'd always managed to pull her out of those.

She shook her head. "I had one a few years ago when I cut my hand at dinner while I was with Jordan and Julie. I just closed up. I think it's just my minds way of protecting itself."

"Do you dream the whole time?"

"I think so, but time seems to move differently when that happens. I don't understand why this one took so long. You brought me back from all the ones that were threatening to take over when Daniel died." She stopped what she was doing and looked at me. "Wait, did you just go get me?"

I looked at her worried that I'd make her angry again. She must've seen the answer in my face. "Asshole," she mumbled. Her face flushed red and I could tell she was trying to stop from lashing out. "Did you even fucking check on us?" she hissed through gritted teeth.

I shook my head. She dropped the knife and backed away. "Then why are you here" she screamed, her eyes filling with tears again. She wiped at them furiously, as if she hated to show how vulnerable she really was.

"I want to be here, Bella!"

She shook her head and clutched her stomach. "Fuck!" Her eyes widened before she turned on her heels and ran to the bathroom. I groaned, but continued to finish the omelets. I knew she wouldn't want me with her. A few minutes later, I plated an omelet when Bella walked back into the kitchen.

"I need to eat first, and then we'll talk."

I nodded and handed her a plate. She sat on the kitchen island where I left a table napkin and glass of orange juice. I sat beside her and we ate quietly. After several minutes, Bella spoke, "I told Jordan everything." I looked up at her; her face was crumpled up in pain. "He left me, too."

She had told me before that we were the two most important people in her life. I couldn't imagine what she felt when she realized that we may never come back. I took her hand in my own. "I'm sorry I left you like that, Bella."

"You didn't just leave me, Edward. You left our baby." She paused and looked as if she was thinking. "I know you're confused and angry, but I thought you loved me enough to stay. Stay at least until you knew everything was fine."

"It was all too much."

Her fork dropped on her plate before she pushed it away. She had barely eaten. "Do you think I didn't know it was too much? Of course it was too much for you to handle. That's why you fucking ran."

Angrily, I stood up and took our plates to the sink. I hated that she fucking hit the mark perfectly. I'd run from everything when it came to personal relationships. "It was the only thing I could think of doing. If I had stayed, I would have said or done something I'd regret later!"

"Oh, like say something like, 'Tell her to take care of it?'" she screamed.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I don't anything right now," she cried out. "I don't know if you're back for me or out of a sense of obligation. I don't know if you love me. I don't know if you'd run again." Before I could respond, she walked into the living room.

There was something she had to understand. "I won't leave you again…"

She cut me off. "Save it, Edward. You've said that before."

"At least I haven't told you that I hated you!"

"You did, Edward," she said hoarsely, as emotion coated her words. "You did when you gave me quarter of a million dollar diamond earrings for servicing you."

Fuck. "Well you did too when you made me think for a minute that I fucking raped you!"

She flinched. "I tried to go back and right that, but they wouldn't let me." I ran my fingers through my hair roughly. "Edward, I'm so tired. I don't want this anymore." She looked at me with soft glistening eyes.

"This?" I asked. The softness of her voice worried me, instantly dousing my anger again.

"As in fighting with each other," she replied. "As in you leaving again, because I won't survive when you do."

I knew it was useless to try to convince her that I wasn't going anywhere. However, I had to know something.

"I just need you to answer something." She nodded, biting her lip. "In the videos, you said once that your other subjects never fell in love with the real you. They fell in love with the Bella you created for them." She sighed and sat on the couch. "Which Bella did I fall in love with?"

She patted the couch beside her. When I sat down she placed her head on my shoulder. Unable to resist, I pressed my lips to the top of her head.

"If you had asked me that last week I would've said the real me," she replied softly. When I tensed, she soothed me by pressing a kiss on my neck. "But I don't know anymore." I sighed and when she looked up at me, she smiled timidly.

"For the last six years, I've done everything I can to help everyone around me. But in doing so I neglected myself. I didn't allow myself to fall _in love_. I wasn't even going to take your case. I wanted to step away from that aspect of my life. I wanted the real thing. But I think at the same time, I wasn't ready to accept it.

"But your case was special. You were hurting everyone around you with your actions. I couldn't stand the sadness in Alice's voice. So I took it. And when you entered my life, I fought against my feels at first. I tried to deny it, but I couldn't. I barely lied to you, Edward, but there were some half-truths. When I knew I was in too deep, I found that I _didn't_ want to lie to you. I wanted to tell you after our first night together. But your family insisted I wait. Wait to make sure your feelings for me were real. "

I had no idea what would've happen if she told me then. Would I have forgiven her? My family stopped her from telling me. They stopped her from dropping my case earlier. I had no idea how to feel about that. Maybe if I'd known earlier we could've avoided all the pain.

"I don't want to talk about my family right now," I said firmly, averting my eyes from hers. Bella had to be aware how much it hurt that my own family had been a part of it. The only people I let in betrayed me. And because of her, I had opened my heart to them more. That fact hurt me, too.

"I know you feel betrayed by them and by me," she said softly, nuzzling shoulder. "They thought what they were doing was right. Back then, I thought it was the right therapy for you. But now I think I just created a mask."

"No, Bella I'd taken off my mask and my armor after I met you. I used to wear it every day to protect myself to keep others from hurting me. But in wearing that mask and armor, I failed to see that I was hurting everyone."

"You put that mask back on the night of the gala," she pointed out.

"I thought it was my only way of pushing through the pain," I said, running my fingers through her hair. It'd been a comforting gesture for the both of us.

"I didn't really fight," she said softly. "I thought if I let you leave, even push you away that you would get over what I did and get over me that much quicker."

"God, we suck," I said.

"When we fight, we _fight_."

"When we hurt, we hurt," I countered. When we both fell silent, I tried to relish the fact that she was with me. Allowing me to hold her despite everything we'd been through.

"Are we going to pretend this didn't happen?" she asked.

"No, we can't go back to pretending anymore," I said warily, wishing partly that it was still possible. She hummed in agreement. "What do you want, Bella?" I asked, placing another kiss on her head, wrapping an arm around her.

"To be happy," she whispered as she shifted enough to lay her head on my chest. I sighed deeply and fully wrapped my arms around her.

"I can make you happy, love." She whimpered at my term of endearment, and I knew then she wasn't ready to hear it. "Can we try starting over from the beginning?"

"Ha! I think it's a little too late for that," Bella said, chuckling slightly. "Or did you forget I'm knocked up."

"Okay, not starting over but maybe we could try again."

"I don't know, Edward. I can't handle it again. Our baby needs for me to be healthy and strong. If you leave again, I'll bury myself in _my_ world and refuse to come out. The only reason I came out now is because you came for me. What if you next time you choose not to?"

"I won't leave again, Bella." We remained quiet for several minutes, both processing everything in our minds. My mind was so unsure still. One side of my mind questioned everything Bella said and remained cautious. The other side, the Bella voice told me to let go and love her. My heart agreed with the Bella voice.

"Why don't we both just think about it? I think that if we both say yes now it may not be honest." I pulled away slightly, and looked at her in confusion. "Edward, I don't know why you're here. You say it's because you love me, but what if in a few months you decide it was all about the baby."

She was as confused as I was, maybe cautious of me, because I had hurt her too much, too many times. However, I had to make it clear to her, that despite my mind being in utter chaos, there was one thing that neither half of my thoughts doubted. I loved her.

"Damn it, Bella. I love you, even after everything."

She shook her head and pried herself from my arms. She stood and started to pace in front of me. "How can you sit there and say that. You _should_ hate me. I want you to yell at me and scream at me!" She threw her hands up in the air frustrated at my seemingly calm demeanor.

"I don't want to do that right now," I said, shrugging my shoulders as I tried to remain calm.

"I'm not some fragile little girl. I need you to be angry at me. I deserve it."

"I've done enough," I spat with venom, because I hated hearing that she felt that she deserved that shit I'd done to her. The marks I'd put on her. "And you are fragile." Her phone suddenly rang. "Ignore it," I growled.

She eyed it and looked at the caller id. "I have to take this," she whispered. My eyes narrowed but I nodded. It better not be my fucking family.

"Jacob," she answered. I growled and jumped off the couch. She looked at me with widened eyes. "Yes, I'm home now." Her eyes were on me as I approached her. I pressed the speakerphone button on the main unit.

"Are you all right now, Bells?"

"Yes, Jake. I'm fine," Bella answered.

"You know I'm really sorry about this, Bells."

"You should be sorry, mutt," I growled.

"You're still there, Cullen?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Black."

"You did and you may again," Jacob replied. "When you do –"

I cut him off. "What Jake? You'll come in to save the fucking day? Take my place?"

"No, I'm just going to remind you how much you hurt Bella every time you run."

I was about to hang up but Bella placed her hand on mine and shook her head. "Is Nessie with you?" she asked.

"No, Bella she's not. You need to call her. She's with Alice and the whole family is worried sick about you."

"I'll call them. Jake, have you heard from Jordan?"

"Nah, Bells. I'm sorry. Billy said that he didn't go into therapy yesterday."

Bella sighed and tears filled her eyes. I tried to hold her, but she shook her head as she stepped way. "Shit. What a fucking mess," Bella said, looking defeated.

"A mess that could've been avoided," I said grimly.

"Look Cullen, I have some idea of what you're going through right now. But believe me running away is not going to solve anything."

"I know that, Black. But this wouldn't have happened if you didn't fucking meddle."

"Yeah, but the only reason your family did this was because you were an asshole. Still are but that's another story."

"As I was going to say, before I was interrupted, Bella, what are you going to do? Don't tell me you're going to forgive him this easily."

"Black, mind your fucking business. What happens between Bella and me is between us, not anyone else."

"You're wrong there, Cullen. She's a friend and a part of Nessie's family. And most of the choices you make affect everyone around you. I thought you learned your lesson on this matter."

I clenched my teeth and my jaw snapped closed. Before I could respond, but said something else.

"Jake, that's enough. We all know the blame is all on me. I should've told him."

"Alice said he was being stubborn."

"Yes, but I could've easily tied him to the bed to make him listen."

Jacob huffed. "Kinky, Bella, you never tied me up." I growled and slammed my fist on the button effectively turning it off.

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you."

"I know but why does he enjoy it so much. It never affected me this much."

"Could it have something to do with me?" she said, toeing the ground, suddenly shy.

"Of course, only you can get me to act like a cave man," I grumbled. The phone rang again. Bella looked at the caller id and cringed, because it was Jacob again, but she allowed it to ring.

After the beep, his voice filled the tension in the room. "Look, I'm sorry, Cullen. You know that we'd always be like this, even when were friends. Remember we showed each other up just to push the other harder. You know, to bring out the best in each other. I admit I did this for my own selfish reasons. But think that you and Bella weren't reason enough.

"We grew apart way before I left your company. You know that. You kept pushing me to go clubbing or to fuck around. I couldn't do that to Bella and I resented you for it. I missed my buddy that would kick back at my place and help tinker with my car. The one friend I had that never criticized the fact that I came from the other side of the tracks. As for Bella, I was tired of seeing her live a half life. She poured everything into helping others, but not herself. I thought you two were perfect for each other. I still do."

The call ended. I tried processed everything he had said and I sighed. It wasn't helping me stick to the fact that I loathed him. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn't.

"So where were we before we were interrupted?" she asked.

"You were pacing," I reminded her. Then she said that she wasn't sure what she wanted yet. And I understood her, because she was as confused and hurt as I was. I nodded, taking her hand. "You're still wearing the ring." When I she hadn't pulled way, I brushed my thumb over the warm metal on her finger.

"I am," she whispered.

"Are you going to keep wearing it?"

Her shoulders rose and fell, playing with the ring and touching my thumb softly. "I want to, but—" She stopped, meeting my eyes. I knew what was stopped her from _wanting _it.

"Bella," I said, reaching out for her again. She hadn't hesitated that time, wrapping her arms around my waist as I enveloped her small frame. "How about we try and start fresh. I'd like to take you to dinner tomorrow night."

"Like a first date?" Bella said, laughing softly. "I'd like that. Though, our first date was a little weird."

"Yes, considering our first date consisted of Chinese take-out on your living room floor."

"Our second date was better," she reminded me.

"Yes, dinner with my entire family, while I got you off under the table. That was fun."

She slapped my chest. "Ass."

"Love," I whispered, trying it out again.

"Dick."

"Sweetheart."

"Ass."

"You called me that already," I teased.

"Yes, but I love your ass." When I snickered in response, her arms tightened around me. Fuck, it felt good, too. "Edward."

"Hmm."

"I don't hate you."

"I know. You're a horrible liar." She laughed. "Bella?" When she hummed, I pressed my lips to her forehead. "I could never hate you," I said sincerely.

"Edward?"

"Yes," I said to change it up a bit. I felt her smile against my chest and when I kissed the top of her head, she sighed.

"Please stay."


	27. Ready To Forgive

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven – Ready To Forgive**

* * *

I felt Bella tense in my arms seemly frightened of her own words. She sighed and looked up at me momentarily. She scrunched her nose, "You smell." I burst out laughing and kept her at arm's length. "Sorry, but you do," she reminded me as I blushed.

I nodded in agreement. After my jog and seeing Becky on the beach, I watched the videos and quickly packed my belongings and left. I hadn't given myself a chance to shower, which I explained to Bella.

Bella walked over to the front door where my bag laid. She grabbed it and rolled it toward the laundry room. Damn it. Cleaning seemed to be something she did when she had to think. I'd seen her do it often. I followed her and helped her put my dirty clothes in a load. She took out my laptop and looked up at me in question.

"Yes, I watched the videos."

Bella looked away. "So you know your tell?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yes, my nose twitches when I lie." Bella nodded and her frown deepened. "Bella, what is it?" I asked, taking her face in my hands. I gazed into her sad eyes, trying to decipher her emotions. Had I ever been able to decipher them?

"Now I won't be able to tell if you're lying."

I sighed and dropped my hands from her face. "I've never been able to tell if you're lying," I countered. I turned away not ready for the conversation we need to have, but I knew we couldn't keep stepping around everything. "Bella, in reality need to have every conversation we ever had so that I'd know the truth."

"I told you I couldn't lie to you after I realized I had feelings for you."

"Yes, but you also said that you had to give me half truths." Bella pursed her lips for a moment but nodded in agreement. "What were the half-truths?"

"Mostly my past relationships," she said quietly. I balked. Had she lied about the number of men she had been with? Bella shook her head. "I know what you're thinking and the answer is no. I didn't lie about how many men I have been with. But –" I groaned, because I wasn't I wanted to know. "Calm down. I went on a lot of dates. Nothing really progressed past a second date much less first base. "

"What is a lot of dates?" I asked through gritted teeth. I closed my eyes as various images of Bella with other men played in my head. Though I had no real reason for my anger, considering I'd done much more than kiss the women I had been with. And I would never consider what I'd done with them as dating.

"About a third of what you fucked," she seethed, her anger getting the best of her.

I snapped my eyes open. What the fuck? Why? "And you call me a womanizer?" I said accusingly, pointing a finger at her.

Belle shrugged and rolled her eyes. "I didn't fuck all of them, Edward," she said. It was another fucking reminder about my past. Was that always going to come back and haunt me? Yes.

I didn't understand why she had dated so much. "So what, you strung them along?" At least I had the decency to make it clear up front with all my former fucks. Back then they knew I wouldn't call them back.

"That's one hundred twenty-three men since I started dating, Edward. Not just in the last few years."

"I have a gut instinct that you're keeping something from me."

Bella shrugged. "I was too nice back then. I had a really hard time saying no when someone asked me out. After a while, I used dating to search for more assholes."

"So you used them."

"No, I just tend to analyze everything, Edward. It's what I do. Once I took on a subject, I concentrated on only him. You have to understand that all of my subjects, apart from you, all sought me out or I stumbled across them."

"And what makes you think you had the right to fix them, Bella?"

Bella groaned and sighed. She wobbled as tried to make her way toward the couch. I grabbed her around her waist and helped her. I could see that she still too weak. Once we were both seated, I started to massage her feet and legs. Her eyes widened and softened when I only offered a smile for an explanation for my actions.

"They asked me to, Edward," she said after a few moments. "Maybe not in so many words but they did. I saw it in their eyes, or in the eyes of their families. When Maria was beaten and I was almost raped, Julian pleaded with us to walk us every day to our apartment. He refused to believe who was the one that attacked us, but deep down a part of him had. He admitted it to me later and felt that he was the cause and it nearly killed him with guilt."

I nodded as the information sunk in. Had I ever felt guilty for the trouble I'd caused my family or the company? Unable or maybe unwilling to find the answer within me, I asked something else that bothered me.

"Why would they do this to you? Why would Alice and Jacob push us together?" _Let's fucking face it, baby, they didn't do you any favors. I was an asshole. _

Bella turned, removing her feet from my lap, and taking my hands. "All of them had ulterior motives," she said thoughtfully. "Don't get me wrong, I eventually put two and two together. When we declared ourselves in front everyone that night at the club, Alice and Jacob thought it was best to come clean." I nodded and squeezed her hand, encouraging her to continue.

"Do you remember how they started to talk about marriage and babies coming in three's, I panicked," she said firmly. Her hand shook as she continued to explain. "I thought that marriage and having children would never happen for us once I told you the truth. They were trying to figure out what was the best thing to do."

"Are you telling me you would've told me that night if Tanya hadn't poisoned your drink?" She nodded. I had no idea how I would've taken the news then.

Bella took my face in her hands, staring at me intently. "I've wanted to tell you before my birthday. I had planned on telling you the night we returned from the falls. But I was exhausted after the confrontation with Jordan. I thought it was best to wait. Then it seemed every time I was ready to sit you down to talk about it, something or someone stopped us."

"I stopped you a lot, hadn't I?"

"Yes, but at the same time I was frightened, Edward. I couldn't bear to lose you. I hadn't fought when you desired to remain in the dark. Never in a million years would I have wanted you to find out that way."

The silence stretched between us for a few moments and when her eyes softened, I knew she'd come to some decision. She leaned toward me slowly, awaiting approval as her lips sought mine. I closed the distance between us and pulled her closer as her lips molded against my own. God, I needed that, the connection we had intensified with the intimate touch. I groaned softly, gliding my hands up and down her back. After a minute, Bella sighed and placed her head so that her nose nuzzled my neck.

"That night when I found my files it felt like my heart was torn to fucking pieces. How can I come back from that? When I grabbed the bottle of vodka, I wasn't thinking. I wanted to drown away the pain that not only my heart and body felt, but also my damn soul. I felt the pain deep inside me where only you have been present."

Bella whimpered against my neck but I continued. I wasn't telling her what I felt that night to make her feel guilty. However, she needed to know why I reacted to her as I had that night.

"Most of the night, while trying to dull the pain, all I kept thinking was that it wasn't real. I thought that you never loved me. And if you didn't love me, then surely what I felt for you wasn't real either. That false realization scared and hurt me the most. I wanted more than anything was someone to love me like I thought you had. I wanted nothing more than to feel the love I felt for you every damn day of the rest of my life. Then…God, those files pointed to a false reality. After the first two videos, I stopped watching. I was so fucking angry and then I tore through your office. I was ready to leave and fucking run or go out and continue drowning but something was keeping me there. A part of me, my heart was desperate to see you again. I thought that if I looked into your soulful eyes, I'd be able to see if something was there. Even if you felt a fraction of what I felt for you, then I thought 'I can work with that.' I think that's why I didn't allow you to talk much when you came home that night. I wanted something tangible, and your words wouldn't have been enough."

Bella sighed. "I barely fought back because a part of me felt like I deserved it."

I whimpered suddenly, remembering the bruises I'd put on her. "Why, Bella? Why didn't you fight me? I fucking tore that necklace off of you." With a trembling hand, I lifted her hair up and sobbed harder when I saw the thin scar across the back of her neck. The necklace hadn't only bruised her; but it cut into her. I'd done that to her. Unable to come to terms with what I'd done, I pushed Bella off my lap and onto the couch beside me. I didn't deserve to have her in my arms.

When I heard her whimper beside me, I numbly thought that this self loathing shit would makes matters worse. I heard her sigh and get off the couch. She was angry at me and had every right to be. No one deserved to be treated the way I had. No one deserved to be handled so harshly. She had to hate me still.

I silently cried, burying my face in my hands. _God, can't I do anything right?_ I had done something again without thinking about it first. If I would have paused that night, would it have gone a different way? No, nothing would've stopped me from leaving that night. She'd been lying in a bed, pregnant, pale, sick, and crying and I still left.

_Fuck, I'm an asshole. _I knew if the tables were reversed, I wouldn't forgive me. _Fuck, I'd kick her ass. _Why wasn't she kicking _my_ ass? Why? Maybe it was because she didn't love me, and it was a part of the twisted damn game. I wish there was a way I could read her mind. I needed something that would let me know how she felt about me.

After a few agonizing moments, I felt her hands on my knees. I looked up and saw her beautiful brown eyes on me. I stared into them, trying to decipher the meaning behind them. They were telling me what I've wanted to know since I arrived. That she fucking loved me. _She loves me_. Even though I left her and our baby and even after I hurt her physically and emotionally, she still loved me.

Why? I shook my head in disbelief. Bella took my face in her hands, forcing my eyes back to hers. With the very tips of her fingers, she traced every feature of my face.

Her eyes never wavered from my own as she continued to become reacquainted with my face. At first her expression seemed reserved, but slowly it started to turn to something else. Brightening as the corners of her lips started to lift in an undeniable smile. Once her fingertips stopped where they first started, she leaned in and placed a kiss along my jawline. She followed the same path her fingers had. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to be become reacquainted with the feeling of her affection.

Her lips lingered over a closed eyelid, my lashes fluttered against her skin. Her lips continued the circuit and feathered over my lips. I sighed and relaxed, finally letting go.

I kissed her with the need to be closer, that she is still there with me, and that she still loved me as I loved her. Bella sighed as my hands held her face gently, and I applied more pressure to the kiss. Her hands slid from my face and into my hair, gently running through it.

After a few moments, her lips parted and her scent and taste hit me hard. God, I needed her – all of her. When she took my bottom lip in between her lips, I groaned and allowed her to deepen our kiss. It'd been week since I last kissed her that way, it seemed infinitely longer.

She moaned when our tongues met, and I had become acutely aware that she was on her knees. And she should never be – ever. She was my equal and I wanted her at the same level. I ran my hands down her neck and shoulders and wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her onto my lap.

When we pulled away to breathe, Bella rested her forehead on mine. My hand slid up her back and I started to rub the nape of her neck. Though there was little tension in her position, she melted further.

"I have phone calls to make and you really need a shower." She chuckled as I pouted, taking it between her teeth and nipped it gently. Before she had a chance to pull away, my arms circled around her tightly. I was scared to let her go. Afraid to break the bubble we'd been while sharing that kiss. In that way, I knew how she felt about me. It'd always been easy to express our feelings through intimacy. It'd taken longer for me to see that love elsewhere.

"Edward?" she whispered as she rested her head on top of mine. I hummed, nuzzling my cheek against the crook of her neck. "Can you really still l-love me?" The edge, the fear was so clear in her voice, betraying the composure she tried to keep on her face.

"Always," I answered honestly. I wanted to ask her the same question but I feared the answer. I feared that if she did, it would mean that she was willing to take us further. If so, that meant that I needed to try and get past everything. I feared that if she didn't, that I would lose not only my best friend but the love of my life.

No one would equal her or compare. That scared me because I knew that I couldn't live a life without love, without _her_ love. After a few minutes, I sighed kissing her neck softly. "Bella?" She replied only with a whispered word near my ear. "Can you really still love me?" My heart beat frantically, fearing the answer that could possibly change everything.

She didn't hesitate. "Always will, Edward, and with every fiber of my body and mind."

I had no idea how much I needed to hear those words. How much it would mean to me. Relieved, I nuzzled her neck, barely containing my emotions. Bella hadn't been fooled. She continued her ministrations, running her fingers through my hair and humming her lullaby. I crushed her to me and held as if my life depended on her. Bella pulled away as I started to quiet down and I was able to see the strain of the past week on her face.

The moment she moved off my lap, I missed her touch. Taking my hand in hers, she gestured for me to stand. Slowly, she guided me through the living room to the hallway. Once in the master bedroom, she led me to the adjoining bathroom. There she started the shower, then turned back to pull my shirt off.

She was trying to take care of me. I removed my shoes and socks, tossing them aside. We both helped each other remove every layer of clothes, but our eyes remained locked on each other.

As I stepped into the shower, I groaned when the hot water hit my shoulders. With my eyes closed, I allowed the water to flow over my face and head. It washed away the stress and heartache of the week. Bella gave me a little push so that I'd step further into the water. I shook the water from my face, rubbing my face. Though I knew she was close, I hadn't expected her to be that close. I opened my eyes to find Bella, reaching up to grab my bottle of shampoo. I groaned and willed my body not to react.

Bella laughed. "You know it's not working, right?" she said by my ear.

"Bella," I groaned as her hands started to wash my body.

"It's all right, Edward," she said reassuringly. "You should be aware that as much as I would love to show you how much I love you. We can't." My body stiffened when she said this. I knew it. She didn't want me because I had hurt her too much. She must've been aware of my dark thoughts, because her hands smoothed over my chest.

"Relax, Edward. It's not necessarily we can't. It's more like I can't. I'm supposed to refrain from that for a total of four weeks, because of the surgery."

I sighed and opened my eyes looking into hers. "Tell me about what happened."

Bella shrugged. "I have no idea."

My eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Bella looked thoughtful for a minute. "I remember going into surgery then I woke up here in the apartment."

My breaths were coming out in gasps. Oh God. What if something happened? If she lost the baby, she'd…no I'd never forgive myself. "So you're telling me that you have no idea if the baby is all right?"

Bella looked at me and held onto my face, trying to calm me. "Edward, I know the baby is fine. I don't how I know, but I do." I took a deep breath and nodded. I told her what the doctor had said, about how she and the baby were in danger in her state when I'd taken her. "See, if he said that then the baby is fine."

I pulled in her arms and held her close. A slow hum rumbled from my lips, as I tried to come to terms with the fact that I was going to be a father. It still hadn't seemed real.

After our shower, we settled into our normal routine. We put my clothes from my trip to wash and made calls to have groceries delivered tomorrow. Neither of us was in the mood to cook so we ordered take out. "Go pick up the food and I'll make a few calls," Bella said a few minutes later.

I looked at her, curious on why she seemed nervous. "Who are you calling?"

"Nessie and Jordan," she replied, then looked up to meet my gaze, "And Carlisle."

I nodded but averted my eyes. She seemed to be waiting for me to say something. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "I'm not ready to forgive them. I barely can manage to get passed what you –" I trailed off.

She pecked my lips and said she understood. I walked over to pick up dinner from the local restaurant we usually ordered from, grabbing a nutrition pamphlet from beside the cash register as I waited.

On the way back, I thought that how strange it seemed that Bella and I could just go back to the way we were before. However, upon further analysis, I went over our conversation and confrontation and realized that we barely touched the surface of our problems.

We had trust issues. We had family issues. We had intimacy issues. We _both_ had abandonment issues. All that meant that we were both tiptoeing around everything, wanting it not to have happened. The reality of the situation told me that it _had _happened and we both needed to deal with it.

For the moment, I was thankful that she was willing to talk to me. She was willing to share her thoughts and share what little thread we had that held us together. We needed to help strengthen it.

I had to try. Not only for our unborn child, but for the love that I knew I had felt for her. It was a love that I was unwilling to let go. I needed her like I needed air. Most of all, I needed her to love me.

Love me even though I get all Neanderthal and go ballistic if a guy looked at her for a beat too long. Love me despite that I left her when she needed me most – twice. Love me when I had, in fact, scarred her. Not just physically, but emotionally. Love me despite the fact that I fucked three times the number of men she dated. Love me for _me_.

She loved all those little things about me. I remember when I asked her why a few weeks ago.

"_Love, why do you love me?" I asked, nuzzling my nose in her hair. I heard her sigh as she shifted closer. I wrapped my arm around her naked torso, pulling her back to my chest._

"_I love lots of things about you."_

_I squeezed her hip, encouraging her to continue. I was a little nervous about the question. I felt that I needed some type of reassurance that what she felt for me was more than physical attraction._

"_Let's see. I love the look in your eyes when you're concentrating really hard on something. I love that you still use the childhood bookmark your mother made you when you read. I love that you sometimes struggle with words when you want to say something cheesy and mushy. But yet you can express just as strongly how much you love me when we make love to me or compose a beautiful song. We love the same TV shows, even the reruns. I loved that you stood beside me this morning and helped me make breakfast and enjoyed it. I love that you pull me closer after you're sated. Not many men do, you know?" I squeezed her harder and kissed the nape of her neck._

"_I love –" Bella trailed off and sniffled._

"_Bella?"_

"_Edward, I don't think I'd survive without you anymore," she confessed, letting out another small sob. I wrapped my arms around her and turned her body to have her face me._

"_You'll never have to wonder what it would be like, love. I'm not going anywhere." I tried, to reassure her. She nodded and kissed me softly. _

I hadn't known then what had her so upset. However, with the truth out, I had proven to her that I couldn't handle the lies and deceit. She believed without a doubt that I would hurt her again.

I vowed as I strolled into her building that I would do anything in my power to make sure we were never apart again. I leafed through the nutritional pamphlet and was shocked and disgusted by the fat and sodium content. _Yeah, Ms. Bella we were going to have to talk about this Chinese food habit._

I shook my head as I made my to the apartment door when I heard a strangled scream from inside our apartment, "Jordan, please!"

I rushed inside and found Bella on the floor beside her phone on her knees in hysterics. There was no one on the other line when I picked it up. Gently, I pulled Bella up and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her into my arms. Tears streamed down her face as I sat on the couch with her in my lap. "Bella, please love. What happened?"

Her body trembled as sobs racked through her. "He won't talk to me. My own flesh and blood won't talk to me."

Jordan. How could he do this to her? That was too fucking much. I could understand being upset, but God she was his sister. Despite what he'd done, Bella still stood beside him. Nessie and Bella were the only family Jordan had left. What the fuck?

Family was supposed to stick together. Family was _supposed_ to stick together. Fuck. Damn the "Bella voice" was back, fucking with my head. I shook away the thoughts, concerning my own family and focused on Bella.

"Love, it's all right. He'll come around. I'm sure of it," I said in the most soothing voice I could. She shook back in the forth on my lap.

With everything that had happened, I knew I wasn't going to be able to help on my own. She needed professional help. She had been through too much and she hid most of her emotions behind the carefully constructed walls she created to complete her job for far too long.

With the overload of hormones and fresh pain that we both caused recently, it was bound to blow-up again. And frankly, I couldn't stand for her to get lost in her head again. She wrapped her arms around my neck, sighing and forcing her sobs to quiet.

"Edward, I don't know what to do," she whispered. "That hasn't happened to me before."

"That happens to most of us on a daily basis sometimes, Bella."

"Ugh, I don't like feeling like this. I'm trying, really I am. But it's so hard to just let everything out." She was still struggling to keep her emotions in check, and it wasn't what she needed. She needed to let go, for once.

Her phone rang beside her and she checked the caller id and answered, "John, oh thank God." Bella bit her lip as I looked at her questionably. "A colleague, a therapist." She shook her head and hopped off my lap.

If she was seeking help, I wouldn't get in the way, but I'd let her know I was there to support her. I arose to my feet and took her hand.

Though I wasn't privy to the entire conversation, I knew that it was someone she'd spoke with before. Bella sighed and closed her eyes. Her other hand clenched and unclenched several times in my own, before she answered. "Dr. White, I had another episode. I need a referral to someone in Seattle."

She relayed the information of how long she'd been in that state I'd pulled her from, even indicating that it wasn't a blood trigger that caused her to close herself up. Bella mouthed, "My therapist in California." I nodded and squeezed her hand a little.

Bella gave him the information of Daniel's shooting, but how she managed to come out of her trances the incident had triggered. And she called me her anchor.

"This was triggered likely because I had to have surgery again." My eyes widened when she said that. She had surgery before? "And I just got lost after that. Though I think the fight I had between my boyfriend and my brother was the breaking point." I grimaced and her eyes glazed over with fresh tears. "Yes, I remember when they told me I couldn't have children in a few years. But I could have children, considering I'm pregnant."

My eyes widened again and fucking tore my hand from hers. What the fuck? Was there some kind of risk that I'm not aware of? What the fuck? What else has she not told me?

Bella's eyes started to water more, and I felt my resolve crumble. But fuck, she needed to know that she can't keep shit like that from me. I pressed the button on the speakerphone. It was time I knew everything about Bella, whether she liked it or not.

"Well, I guess I can see the reason why you slipped into a catatonic state. Your mind's own self defense mechanism was protecting you from your loss, your possible future health and your overwhelming need to bottle up your emotions. I'll get back to you tomorrow when I look into someone that can help you."

"Thank you, Dr. White. Sorry for disturbing your evening."

"Nonsense, Bella. You know what you mean to my family."

"How are Reese and Anna?"

"They are happy as ever. The little one turns four months next week."

"I'm happy to hear that, John. Tell them all I said hello. And tell Reese that I expect some pictures in my email soon."

I heard the doctor laugh a little. "I would think with the weekly dose of images you get from him and Anna you'd be sick of us."

"Never John, you know I owe you so much. You helped me a lot while I was in California."

"Yes, darling I may have helped you. It was the least I could do after what you did for Reese. He's better person because of you."

Bella smiled and I fucking scowled. Fucking hell! He was another damn subject with a fucking happy ending. Where the fuck was mine? I was still fucking waiting for the unicorns and rainbows. After the hell I've been through for the past week, you'd think I deserve that.

I looked at Bella who averted her eyes and wiped a tear from her cheek. I sighed, pulling her against my chest.

"Now is it safe to presume that it will be only you going to therapy or would you like me to look into family therapy for you and your brother?"

"Just me for now, John." I looked at her as she spoke and kissed her forehead.

"Dr. this is Edward, Bella's …fiancé…uh… boyfriend. Actually, I have no idea what I am at the moment. Can you look into finding someone for couple's therapy?"

It was something we needed to help us get past everything, and something we couldn't do on our own. Bella gave me a watery smile and tightened her hold on me.

"Bella?" the doctor said like a question.

"Yes, John. And someone for couple's therapy on top of one for myself."

"All right, I'll email you a few recommendations and I better hear from you soon."

After Bella confirmed her email with her former therapist, she turned to look at me. I cocked an eyebrow, pointing toward dinner that I arranged on the coffee table in the middle of her living room. Just like the first time we had dinner together there.

Suddenly her features, including her small smile, fell. I realized my mistake. Daniel. That first night we sat and had dinner there, Daniel had just left. "I'm sorry, love. We can eat in the kitchen."

Bella shook her head. "No, Edward. I need to get past this. I need to move on."

I nodded and helped her sit on a pillow and handed her favorites, picking up something for myself. "Just to let you know this is the last time you eat Chinese food while you're pregnant."

Bella scowled. "Why?"

"Do you know how much MSG is in the shit?"

Bella huffed and pursed her lips. "If I have to give it up so do you. I'm not about to watch you eat it while I'm eating some rice cake or something."

I laughed, because she looked so damn adorable pissed. Her eyes rolled and she turned away from me completely, ignoring me. I sighed after a few minutes of tortuous silence. I pulled her into my lap. "Please don't turn away from me. I know it's been only a week since I last seen you but it felt infinitely longer. I can't stand not being able to see your beautiful eyes."

Bella looked up at me and scrunched her eyes closed. I chuckled, kissing her eyes a few times coaxing them to open. Her eyes fluttered open and she rolled them in annoyance. "Fine, no more Chinese food."

"Now that you're no longer mad at me for banning Chinese food, I think we need to discuss the conversation you had with your former doctor."

Bella nodded. "I had gotten sick several years ago, anemia. After a few tests, they were able to determine that they were fibroids. I had medication, a few surgeries to help combat the problem. The only thing is it wasn't getting any better. Before I met you I was already on medication for months and nothing was shrinking them. I knew what my doctor was going to tell me."

"And what was that?"

Bella sighed again and looked up at me. "That this was the last time she'd approve another round of medication and surgery. And if they came back again, I would have to have a hysterectomy."

"So you wouldn't be able to have children?"

Bella shook her head. "That shit scared me half to death. I knew that I wanted kids eventually. My doctor told me that it was all likely that I would have to have that surgery in a few years at most."

I stiffened under her. What the fuck was she trying to tell me? That she fucking did this shit on purpose. We didn't use condoms because she said she was allergic. I shook my head and pushed her off again. Was she fucking lying to me again?

"What?" Bella asked with my sudden change in demeanor.

"What? You ask what? Did you –" I was shaking in my anger, though I wasn't sure why. Maybe I was pissed that the baby was created out of fucking deception and not about what we felt for one another.

Realization dawned on her face, her eyes widening. "God, Edward. Do you really think I would do this on purpose? I thought you were smarter. Fuck!"

I moved away, ready to just get the fuck up and leave. "Well, I find anything coming out of your mouth as of late to be hard to fucking believe."

"No, I didn't do this on purpose," she spat. "In fact, I'm fucking scared shitless right now. Like I said, before I don't know why you're here. Furthermore, I was on meds, I got piss ass drunk once, and I have no idea what the consequences of that will do to the health of the baby. Not to mention that this pregnancy will do to my own health. I didn't even find out I was pregnant until I was told at the hospital."

I shook my head; I was confused as fuck. She wouldn't purposely expose the baby to alcohol and medication if she knew if she was pregnant.

"I didn't even think it was a possibility until Sharon asked if St. Johns Wart had drug interactions."

I looked at her and took a few breathes. She was pissed as hell, pacing. She barely ate again and it was my entire fault for assuming the fucking worst. "When did that happen?" I asked not really caring but I wanted to keep her talking.

"The day of the gala," she replied.

I jumped to my feet, closing in on her. "God damn it, Bella. Are you telling me that you thought you could be and didn't even fucking tell me?"

"How the hell was I going to tell you something like that when you were already ready to blow up?"

I shook my head again and wrung my hand through my hair. I had done that shit to her, while she was pregnant. Fuck. I caused her to slip into the damn state of mind. I caused her to get lost in a world that frankly I would trade my left nut for at the moment.

My guilt was overriding my need to stay. "Fuck!"

"You know one thing I never even crossed my mind when I thought I was pregnant. The thought that I didn't want it, it never once crossed my mind to get rid of the baby."

"Fuck, Bella, I was confused and hurt beyond fucking repair at the time. I said the first thing that came to mind. I didn't mean it!"

"Edward, you had a week to go over your feelings and thoughts. I have had none. It feels like it happened last night to me. I think its best you leave right now. I need to be alone."

Fuck. Hell. I was in a hell again. My shoulders slumped in defeat and fell to my knees. I pulled her body close to me and buried my face in her stomach. "I can't leave. Please don't push me away."

"Edward, I think right now we're both too confused. We need step back for a while. I'm not saying that it's over. I'm saying that I need to breathe. I'm going to go to bed. The couch pulls out as you already know, so you're welcomed to stay. Please just give me time."

I nodded and kissed her tummy a few times and squeezed her hips before I rose to my feet. I kissed her forehead before I released her. Bella looked at me and caressed my cheek with her hand. She turned away and walked to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

I sighed and cleaned up what was left of dinner and locked up. I had to do something to let her know that I was still here with her. I needed to show her that I wasn't going anywhere, not without her. But what?

I removed what I was wearing, down to my boxers and went to the linen closet in the hallway to grab a blanket. I stopped in front of Bella's bedroom door and strained to hear her. I wanted to know what she would dream about. Then I thought in all likelihood she wouldn't dream, she'd have a nightmare. I silently wished her goodnight.

I fell in a fitful sleep on the pull-out bed in the living room. My dreams were chaotic at best. My own thoughts, mood swings and just fucking raw emotion was giving me whiplash as they whirled around in my head. Sometime later, I felt the mattress dip beside me. I remained still not wanting to alert her. She sighed and draped her leg and arm around me.

"You can't fake sleeping, Edward. You've never been able to," I heard her whisper against my shoulder blade. I turned slowly, allowing her to able to move along with me.

"Well, there goes the Oscar. So why the late night trip to the living room couch? Not that mind," I asked, pulling her closer. She was wearing one of my t-shirts that had come out of the dryer earlier.

She buried her nose against my chest and inhaled deeply. "I'm too used to sleeping with you."

"Same here, Love."

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I guess I was a little scared you wouldn't want me if I couldn't have your children."

I sighed and shook my head. "Naïve and stubborn woman," I said softly. "We needed to communicate then and we need to communicate now. You should've told me. I slept beside you every night. What if something happened and I wouldn't have known what was going on?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I didn't see it like that."

I kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry that I accused you of doing this on purpose. I know that you wouldn't. You don't need me. Not really. Not like how I need you."

"Baby or not, Edward, I still need you."

I started to hum her song and kissed the top of her head inhaling the strawberry shampoo. "I need you too, my love. Now sleep."

She nodded. "Tomorrow, I need to get out and walk for a while. Any ideas?"

"The mall?" I suggested. Bella nodded and yawned, trying to stifle it with her hand. I chuckled and tightened my hold her. "Sleep," I whispered in her ear.

"Kay."

~oOo~

We awoke to the telephone ringing at an ungodly hour. I cursed as I rushed to answer it, not wanting Bella to wake up yet. I hit the speakerphone button, having misplaced the cordless phone.

"Mr. Cullen?" I recognized the voice of one of the security guards in the building. "A Detective Davis is here to see Ms. Swan." Oh fuck. I had quite literally kidnapped Bella from the hospital, at least to the eyes of the hospital. "He seemed upset and is on the way up. I couldn't stop him, sir."

I told him it was all right and hung up. I grabbed a pair of pants and walked over to a peacefully sleeping Bella. Gently, I shook her so that she'd wake. "We're about to get a visit from your friend from the police department."

Bella opened an eye and groaned. "They're never around when you really need them." She growled and took the robe I offered her. "I'm sure he's checking up on me, but I suggest you wait inside." I nodded and kissed her cheek gently. She smiled and made her way toward the door. On the other side someone started to pound on it. Well, he sounded pissed.

I gave her a small smile and made my way to the bedroom. There was some shouting at first, but it quickly quieted as Bella talked to him. I brushed my teeth, returned to the kitchen and started to pull out cereal and what was left of some fruit in the fridge to make some kind of breakfast.

Bella gave me a watery smile when she returned and pointed toward the hall. She returned from the bathroom, pulling up a bar stool as I plated some mangos and pineapple slices. I handed her a bowl of cereal, pouring the milk to just a third of the way like she liked it.

Bella smiled at me and a tear slipped down her cheek. I looked at her curiously, but she blushed and shook her head. We ate in silence, one of my arms wrapped around her waist as one of her hands sat on my thigh. We had decided to go to the mall. She said she wanted to finish her Christmas shopping since she lost a week. I groaned. I had some shopping to do, too, mostly for family, and I wasn't ready to think about them.

I still had to find something for Emmett and Carlisle. Was it really wise to go shopping for a gift when you're pissed at them at the moment? _No. _

Bella said I didn't have to go with her but that I was welcome to. I needed to go back to my place to get a few things, including my bank card. On my way out of her apartment, I grabbed a set of clothes, but I wasn't sure if I should take everything.

There laid the problem. If I took everything, it would seem like I wasn't planning on staying. If I didn't take everything, it will make it seem like I wasn't giving her a choice. However, she made my choice for me. When the load of my clothes had finished, she had taken the basket of my laundry into her room.

I let out a breath of relief and kissed her goodbye, indicating that I wouldn't be long. There was a wary look in her eyes and she bit her lip nervously. In fact, I'd say she was afraid of me leaving. I reassured her again that I'd return soon, earning a nod and a whispered goodbye.

Once I found what I needed in my apartment, I grabbed the Christmas gift that I had already made for Bella weeks ago. I opened the box, removing the jeweled CD with a picture of us on the label, titled, For My Life and My Love.

Encoded on the shiny surfaced were the lyrics I had written to accompany her lullaby. I had performed and recorded it at a studio in Los Angeles when I visited recently for a business trip. Along with the recording was a video of me playing and singing her song. I sighed. My gift was no longer good enough. I needed to sing it to her personally.

That would require a piano and that meant I'd need to move my piano to her place. How the hell would I do that? Again, I didn't want to force myself upon her. Not when I had no idea what laid ahead.

I left my apartment with dozens of ideas on how to make up it to her, but nothing seemed grand enough. How does a man tell the woman, that he hurt so much, that hurt him in return, that you still love her?

When I returned to the apartment, I noticed that Bella wasn't there. There was a note on the memo center she had on the fridge that indicated that she needed something from her car.

I tidied up a bit in the living room and kitchen for a while. I realized that I'd been waiting for thirty minutes and Bella hadn't returned. Worried, I decided to check on her. When I approached Bella's assigned spots, I found her near where Daniel's had body laid.

Fearing a relapse, I rushed to her side and wrapped my arms around her. She buried her face against my shirt, clutching to me tightly. "I have … to get passed this … I can't have people drive me around." Tears and sobs were intermingled with her words.

"You did very well, Bella. Remember before, you couldn't even step out of the elevator. You'll get there don't worry, love."

Bella nodded and gave me the keys. "Can you get the packages in the back please?"

I nodded and helped her to her feet. It'd only taken a few minutes for me to grab all the festively wrapped packages from her car. The moment we stepped into the apartment and deposited the gifts, we left, much to Bella's relief.

We walked hand in hand around the large outdoor mall. There was a cool breeze that drew Bella's hair into the wind as we made our way through some of the vendors and shops. Her face lit up when she tugged me toward her choice of something sweet to eat.

The poor thing hadn't been able to eat even a quarter of the giant chocolate chip cookie. She pushed it away, closing her eyes. With they opened a moment after; she smiled at me and licked her lips. I noticed a smudge of chocolate she missed on her bottom lip, leaning in, I sucked the area in my mouth.

"Hmm, chocolate Bella. I like that," I whispered against her soft lips. Bella smiled, placing another kiss on my lips, boxing the remaining cookie.

Shortly afterward, we found a scrapbooking store, where Bella purchased several new albums and other supplies.

"Who is all that for?"

"Well, I want to start a scrapbook for my pregnancy. Then I wanted to get supplies for Alice's and Rosalie's books, too." She smiled then her eyes widened, after realizing what she said.

"What are you saying, Bella?"

"Last I heard before I left to New York was that they were both late. I don't know if they are pregnant since I haven't had a chance to talk to either of them." Bella shrugged and gave the cashier a credit card.

I shook my head in disbelief. Apparently, I was going to be an uncle. I groaned, because there was no way I could remain estranged with my family when there were children involved.

After, we climbed onto the escalator because Bella indicated she felt a little sore. I insisted on going home, but she refused, saying that she had been in bed for far too long, so soreness was to be expected. If need be, I'd call an early end to the day and claim exhaustion on my part.

Bella had managed to buy several gifts for certain members of my family, and even tried to get my opinion on things. I felt that she was trying to have me participate so that she'd be able to claim that the gifts were from the both of us. She was fucking stubborn and smart. I'd given in after she finally relented and allowed me to pay for the rest of her things on her shopping list. Seriously, the woman needed to learn to accept gifts.

Shortly after finding everything her list, we passed a store that sold maternity clothes. "Ugh, I don't want to buy maternity clothes. I'm a little scared I'm going to end up with twins."

I looked at her my eyes widening. "Twins? Why twins?"

Bella smiled wistfully, before answering, "I'm sorry my mother Renee and Nessie's mom were identical twins, which is the reason she looks so much like me. It skips a generation, according to my late grandmother."

I balked. Twins. Holy shit. Bella seemed to have noticed my distress and started to use a paper pack from the scrapbook store to fan me. I stood against a wall catching my breath.

"Bella, you're a twin," I offered. "So that would mean it hadn't skipped your generation."

"Yes, I am but I'm a fraternal twin, doesn't really count. My great grandmother was identical twin and her grandmother before was." She quirked an eyebrow and seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "Now that I think about it, I'm more likely since I'm a fraternal twin. Wow."

I might have started to hyperventilate. "Shit, two babies."

"Relax, Edward," she said sweetly. "I don't know for sure. We'll see in a few months. Perhaps even, if the doctor chooses to do another ultrasound." I nodded as I started to absorb the information. "Edward, are you okay?"

I nodded again, but still shocked. _Why hadn't I thought of this? _My eyes willfully met hers and suddenly, I pictured two copper head little girls with big brown eyes.

Bella smiled at me. "Yeah, I can picture them too." I composed myself and pushed myself off the wall, feeling a little dizzy and lightheaded. "Come on, Champ. You must be hungry, let's head on over to the food court."

She'd taken my hand in hers and wrapped it around her waist. With a light tug, she was in my arms and I kissed the top of her head. Her eyes met mine and delightful, naught smirk lit up her face. Then she placed her hand in the pocket of my jeans, giving me a little squeeze. I cocked an eyebrow which she returned.

_So, she wants to play games, huh?_

With a wiggle of my eyebrows and a matching smirk, I slid my hand into her back pocket grapping a palm full. She giggled and we walked with our arms around each other and groping the other's ass. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

At the food court, Bella grumbled all the way to a table with her food. She wanted a corn dog but after reading off the grams of fat she relented and settled for a grilled chicken salad with a light Italian dressing. And I had a slice of pizza.

When we settled at our table, Bella looked up at me and a worried look on her face. "Do you think I'm going to get fat and that's why you won't let me eat what I want?" She stabbed at her salad repeatedly and frowned.

I raised an eyebrow, because she knew better than that shit. "No, love," I said firmly, looking her squarely in the eyes. "It's healthier for you to eat better for you and the baby. Perhaps babies, remember? With your anemia it wouldn't hurt you to have more greens in your diet."

Bella scowled, but seemed to agree with me. "You're no fun."

I rolled my eyes, refusing to relent. She knew I was right. "You had a chocolate chip cookie. That's enough of that kind of stuff for today."

She glared for a moment then she smirked. "Well, if you're banning fun food from me then you have to stop, too."

"I can do that, but nothing is wrong with _one_ slice of pepperoni pizza."

Bella smirked again, taking a napkin and pressed it on top of my slice of pizza. Her smirk became more pronounced as she removed the napkin and showed me the large amount of oil it managed to soak up in a couple of seconds.

Damn smart woman. I thought I had her.

I grumbled all the way to back to the table after I threw my pizza away and went to grab a salad. Bella laughed as I stabbed a piece of grilled chicken and some fucking iceberg lettuce. Damn her. "Fine we'll eat 'fun food' but in moderation."

Bella continued to laugh as she finished her salad and waited for me to finish, on my lap. I loved it when she didn't seem to mind being affectionate out in public. We finished our lunch and walked around a little more.

When we walked past a Gymboree, I stopped to look inside. Bella noticed and pulled me inside. Hand in hand we looked at all the tiny articles of clothing. I found a little pink dress with a scalloped collar and a lacy white hem. I touched it gently and loved the feel of the softness of the fabric.

Then it really hit me. _I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a father. Fucking hell. I'm going to be a father._

The situation was exactly what I wanted to avoid for so long. What would happen to the baby if something happened to us? The sense of loss the baby would feel would be as devastating as it was for me. I didn't want that. And even more devastating than that, would be the loss I'd feel should something happen to our children. _Good God, how does someone come to grips with this kind of worry?_

I had no doubt that I would love our children unconditionally. And that I would give our child all the love that he or she deserves, like my parents before they died. A part of me feared the future.

Beside the little pink dress was a frilly tiered white dress with a rose on the bodice. Bella noticed that I was once again in distress and had taken my face in her hands.

"Edward Cullen, I know that you're scared," she whispered, her eyes quickly filling up. "But this baby will be loved so much by not only you and me, but everyone else. If and I mean _if_ something should happen to either one of us, the other will go on and give this child and all others, all the love and support that they will need to go on. If something should happen to the both of us, then our baby will have a family that will love him or her with just as much as love as we will give. We need to work hard to get to that place where we'll not only surround our child with our love but the love of others. Our Family, Edward, we need my family and your family."

And that simply, my salvation, my Bella brought me from the brink of another melt-down.

I knelt on the ground at her feet, pressing my lips on her abdomen. Her hands ran through my hair as I whispered, "I'm going to be a daddy."

Bella smiled as she replied, "Yes."

"You're going to be a mommy."

"Yup."

"We made the baby together," I stated. I wrapped my arms around her waist and laid my cheek against her belly. "Our baby."

She nodded. "Our baby." I bought that pink dress and the frilly one; something told me I'd need them.

~oOo~

The following day, Bella spoke with someone on the phone, seemingly checking in with the family. She hadn't tried to convince me to speak with my family, and I appreciated it, since I wasn't ready for that.

I'd been sleeping on the couch, since my return. Bella hadn't allowed me in her bed yet, and I was all right with it. She needed time to adjust to everything that had occurred. A part of me, a small part, felt the same way.

We talked, a lot. And I found out things I'd never known before. As a child, her incisors were pointy, earning the nickname Vampella. She had baby pictures to prove it, she was fucking adorable.

There was something she held back on and that was her former subjects. It had started sometime in college and I was curious, very curious. She'd met a majority of her subjects there. I bucked up and asked something I needed to know.

I shifted on the couch, where we'd spent most of the afternoon looking through our photo albums and watching television. Taking her hand a mine, a lifeline, since I knew the subject would probably up the tension.

"Bella," I said, waiting to turn her warm eyes to me. When she had I smiled warily, instantly putting her on alert. She needed it, or maybe I needed it. "Did you –" I exhaled harshly, relishing in the tightening of her fingers around mine. "Did you learn…No, that's not right. What I mean is…was there something you _got_ from the relationship with your other subjects." I really fucking hated the term, but it was the closest description without sounding harsh.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully, and I could see her gather her thoughts to answer. "I'm glad you asked that, Edward. Honestly, my previous subjects made me who I am today."

"What? How?" God, I'd known the conversation would not be easy.

Bella sighed and shrugged her shoulders, turning to look me square in the eye. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" When I nodded, she continued, playing with my fingers. A sign that she uncomfortable talking about the subject. "All right, Jacob. From him, I learned fierce loyalty."

I scoffed. That asshole was far from loyal. "Sweetheart, he was loyal to you until you tried to push him in the wrong direction." Rolling my eyes, I motioned for her to continue. "As for Julian, he taught me how to dance and everything that goes along with it." I looked at her confused. "Dancing helped with my balance issues. It also made me feel sexy and that gave me the confidence I lacked when I was younger.

"Let's see, there's Mark. Ha, he had a love a love for cars and taught me how to take care of my old truck. God, he loved to tinker with it. He always made me feel beautiful, even if I had a smudge of grease on my cheek. That boosted my self esteem a little, and that taught me to love me the way I am.

"Chris and Reese they helped find my two callings. Chris loved books and even though I read everything I could get my hands on, he taught me how to put my imagination on to paper. Reese helped me figure out where my next step in my career should be. I looked into being a therapist because of him and his father.

"As for the others, they helped me broaden my tastes. Different flavors if you will." Bella blushed and I understood. They helped release the little vixen she was in the bedroom. I didn't like the idea of that, especially since they were the most recent.

_Ugh...had she performed tongs with any of them? _"Tongs?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "You were the only one that fulfilled that advanced position."

I grinned, unable to keep it from looking smug. "Dominated?"

Bella nodded, causing my eyes to widen. "I didn't like it much, the loss of control. I prefer the more dominant one in the bedroom, but I've submitted as you have witnessed before. Well to an extent."

Fuck if I wasn't hard, thinking of her tied and blindfolded on her bed. Fuck that, I'd take her bound to the chair. Bella chuckled and brought me out of my sexy fantasy. "Champ, you better take care of that or you're going to combust."

Damn, I felt the strain of my erection against the zipper of my jeans. Bella pushed me onto my back and straddled me. I groaned and put my hands on her hips. "Not until the twelfth of January," she whispered against my ear, her breath hot and moist there. I grunted and moved her hips to grind her against my crotch. Fuck. It felt good and she wanted more.

She moaned softly, "Edward."

I stilled our movements, because the risks far outweighed my need. "I'm sorry, but a week seems like forever, considering how active we were."

Her eyes had closed with pleasure from the friction, opened to find heated eyes. "Well, at least you didn't attempt to go fuck me out of your system after our fight." I tensed, averting my eyes from hers. I felt her stiffen above me. "Edward, what did you do?"

She pulled away and stood up to sit in the chair across from me. Fuck. "I'm waiting. What the hell did you do after you left the Gala?"

Without her close, I started to pace. "Bella, you have to understand that I was pissed," I said firmly, my hands fisting at my sides. "I needed to forget everything, you. I wanted to forget everything." I paused not sure if I could go on further.

"Just spit it out," Bella said calmly, but in that calm I could see the underlying tension that was about to coil and spring.

I swallowed, knowing that whatever I said would be bad. Because it was, I knew if the situation had been reversed I'd be seething, too.

"I couldn't do it," I started, tugging at my hair as words continued to tumble from my lips. "I went to the club, took a few shots, danced with someone, but I couldn't stop thinking about you. I fought against the memories that poured out of my head, but they rushed through me one after another. Then the memory of our last night at the club," I whimpered, remembering the image of her convulsing, "I bolted the bathroom and I got sick."

"So, you didn't sleep with someone that night?" I shook my head, and I could see some of the tension ease out of her. "You didn't kiss someone else that night?" When I shook my head, she asked something I could not answer. "Would you have if you didn't get sick?" When I remained quiet, she knew my answer. I had no idea what I would've done if I hadn't gotten sick. Would I have left that club with some random woman, fuck her and pretend that Bella hadn't existed?

A part of me, no fucking way, but another part, the one that was angry said that it could've happened. Maybe that night at the club, but not after seeing her in the hospital and definitely not after finding out I was going to be a father. This would explain what happened with Rita.

Bella sighed, looking down at her lap. And I could see that there was still fear there. "After you left me at the hospital, in California?"

I winced, unable to meet her gaze. She let out a choked sob, causing me to stumble through an explanation. "I went to a bar that I gone to before, where I'd been with one of the waitresses there and I –"

When she started to shake her head, I knew she assumed the worst. "Get out!"

I shook my own head, my voice a plea as I continued despite her words. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I didn't want to do anything."

"But she was there and she offered." Bella crossed her arms across her chest, looking at me with harsh eyes.

"Yes, but I told her that I wasn't interested. She felt sorry for me, I think. We talked when she recognized there was something wrong with me. She told me I just needed to let it go. And I did."

Bella's breathing hitched, cradling her face in her hands, sobbing. I knelt in front of her, encircling her as best I could.

"No baby. Not like that. I meant that I left and wore myself out. I ran and allowed myself be consumed with our time together. I analyzed everything, because I needed to. There were moments that there is no way in hell you pretended to love me. I tried to deny that those moments were real, but they were. If it wasn't for those memories, your videos, Becky pushing me in the right direction, I'd probably be in California feeling sorry for myself."

Bella shook her head. "I was in a fucking hospital bed both times you wanted to be with someone else. I under the first time, you were angry. But that second time, you went to a source that you already knew would give you what you wanted. And I was fresh out of surgery and in a fucking catatonic coma. Did you even check your fucking messages? Did you call?"

I shook my head, hating the pain in her eyes and even more, when she closed them. She effectively shut me out. "I need you to leave for now," she whispered. "I have to think."

I nodded, almost crying out when she pushed me away gently. "I'm sorry," I said desperately.

Bella shook her head. "I can't do this right now."

I knew she couldn't, but I refused to give up without a fight. I'd already done it, and regretted it with all my heart. Deep down, I knew she would've fought for me. "You lied to me and I'm willing to forgive," I said firmly, trying not to lash out.

Instead of responding harshly as I expected, she hurt me more with her question. "Tell me, Edward. If I hadn't landed myself in the hospital and you left to California, would you forgive me if I went out to forget you?"

I gritted my teeth. "I didn't do anything."

"No you didn't. But you thought about it. And I have to wonder if it was me that stopped you. Or if it was the fact that I'm carrying your child."

I shook my head and took her face in my hands. "No, Bella. It's not about the baby. It's not just about you either. I didn't want to and I didn't know anything about her. Not her favorite color, if she takes two creams and two sugars in her coffee, or she was working through grad school. Not even her last name, it bothered me."

Shocking me, Bella smiled and in fact, looked a little smug. I cocked an eyebrow in question, causing her to laugh. _What's with the sudden mood swing?_ "It worked then. Sex means more to you now."

My shoulders slumped and I shook my head. Was that the reason I couldn't go through with it? I remembered what Julian had said at the club the night of the Gala.

"_You don't belong here, Edward. I don't think you ever really did. You came in here, found someone and performed like a robot. Tell me… from all your previous experiences, did any compare to her?"_

"_No." _

"_Exactly. She made it more." _

She made it more. The act had become more intimate and tied emotions to it. Would it be the same with another woman if I had even tried? I doubted it, not after knowing her for a couple of hours, like all the women before.

A part of me wondered if it was Bella. No one would compare to her, but if I had chosen to walk away, would I have reverted to my old ways?_ No_. I knew I couldn't. Then I understood why she was so successful with all of her subjects. She made an act between two people and made it mean more.

I smiled at her and kissed her lips gently. "You're right. Sex doesn't mean just sex now. But from the moment you'd given me a part of you, it had been different. I think that was you."

She cradled my face as I thumbed the tears that still fell from her eyes. "Now that you seem to understand where I came from, I think it's my turn to say I'm sorry for I did to you," she whispered and kissed my cheek. "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, when I knew I should've. I was so scared to lose you. A part of me always believed that I would."

And I understood why she hadn't fought me when I expressed my desire _not_ to hear about the secret she held. I also was aware that throughout our entire relationship she had the same ominous feeling that it would all end. I hated that part, and I knew it had to be even harder for her.

"But I think you need work a little to get me to forgive you for dancing with another woman." I knew what she was doing, hoping to relieve the tension that pressed us from all directions. There was a glint in her eyes, but beneath was pure exhaustion.

I smiled at her and pressed my lips on hers. "How's that?" She shrugged and angled her neck so I could access it easily. I grinned and pressed my lips on her neck, starting a slow circuit along her neck up to the sweet spot behind her ear. "How this?"

"Nope, still not enough," Bella quipped, much too coherent for my tastes.

I chuckled, because she tried to remain composed. But I noticed her knees trembling. "So what do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?"

Bella tugged at my hair and made me look up into her eyes, the fear prominent behind love in her gaze. "Forgive and love me," she answered in a desperate whisper.

"Already have and for always," I whispered back, closing my mouth over hers.

~oOo~

We spent the rest of the day sitting on her couch watching reruns of Friends, and then spent half the night wrapping up the Christmas presents. However, we both realized we didn't have anywhere to put them.

The following day we spent it resting, but she spent a few hours replying to emails and phone calls. I'd done the same, grateful that Carlisle sent me an email, anticipating my needs. He indicated that I could take the rest of the month and January off. He would be taking over while I was gone.

When I went to check on Bella, I found her arguing with someone. "We have to postpone," she said not realizing that I was there in the room with her. I stepped out, because it seemed important, whatever it was. "I know I'm under contractual obligation, but I hadn't realized I'd have to have surgery. I'm currently considered on disability. I can't be off gallivanting all over the states." She remained quite as she listened to whomever she was speaking with for several moments. She picked up her planner and leafed through it. "I can give you two weeks in February then March I'll begin. "Thank you and Merry Christmas, Karen."

Bella sighed and she seemed exhausted. Whatever the conversation was about had put a strain on her. I decided at that moment, not to bring it up. I knew it had to do with her writing, since it was her agent who she spoke with. We'd have a discussion later, but she needed to get some rest first.

The following day was the twenty-fourth and it was only going to be the two of us until dinner where Jacob and Nessie would join us. She wanted Alice and my family to come, but she knew I wasn't ready for that. A part of me feared that they'd burst the happy bubble that I so carefully constructed around Bella and me since my return.

Thankfully when Bella finished with her calls, she agreed to take a nap and rest before we had dinner. After I had tucked her in, I formulated in my head to help liven up the living room in the hopes to make my girl happy. For that, I need to Nessie and Jacob.

They were her family and I knew they would help. And help they did, arriving shortly after my call to help me set everything up, with reinforcements. We had to move some furniture around, but the warmth and comfort and just homey feel was well worth it. And if Bella loved it, it would definitely be worth it.

I was happy to say, it was easy to slip into a friendly mood when Jacob was so willing to make Bella happy. There was one more thing that needed to be done to make it perfect, and I needed their help again. We planned it all out. While Nessie distracted Bella while they prepared dinner, Jacob and I would leave to shop for last minute Christmas, a ruse to pick up her surprise.

By the time she emerged from her slumber, everything was planned out and my partners in crime had left. They promised to be here early in the morning to help with everything. Bella walked down the hallway, rubbing her eyes and stretching like a little kitten. I watched as she took in her surroundings.

Her eyes danced over the large Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with twinkling lights and hundreds of ornaments. Jacob, Nessie and I decorated the walls and hung lighted garland throughout the living room. Her smile widened when her eyes met the dining room that displayed a small tree filled with Disney character ornaments. Turning toward her library, she gasped when she'd seen my baby grand piano stood. When her eyes finally met mine, she cried out.

She ran the length of the living room and into my awaiting arms. "You did all this?" she asked her eyes wide with excitement.

"Yes, but I had a little help," I answered with a smile.

"Who helped you do all this?"

I laughed as I answered, "Your cousin, Jacob and a few of his buddies."

"Wow." Bella smiled and kissed my entire face with tiny kisses. I loved every second of it. Sweet torture. "I can't believe I didn't hear the pack here. Usually they are anything but quiet."

I chuckled and tightened my arms around her. "Yes, I agree with you. But they knew this was a surprise. Though, when we went shopping for things, they _all_ had something to say." I remembered the glares I first received when they arrived. "They laid it all out for me. Apparently if I make you cry again, my ass is going to take one hell of a beating. They put all that aside for you, love. But mind you, they ate everything we had in the apartment that was edible. I had to send Emily and Sam to get more groceries."

Bella threw her head back and laughed. A sound I desperately missed and would do anything to hear it every day. I took her hand, walked her over to the over eight foot tree adorned with ornaments of our childhood. Nessie had Renee's ornaments put away since both Jordan and Bella had not put a Christmas tree since their parents died. I had done the same with the ones I had of my parents. I laid the box of my favorite ornaments from my childhood in her hand.

She smiled at me, gasping when she'd seen the dozen vintage white glass swans. "These were always my favorite," I whispered. I gently extracted one out and let it swing gently on its string. It was small, tiny and fragile, but beautiful.

"I named each one," I said softly. "One was named Alice since she had joined the family that same year I'd picked these out. I named one after my mother and the other after my aunt, Esme." I fingered each one until I got to the fourth one. "I couldn't figure out what to name the others. Then my mother asked why I liked them so much and I told her because they were beautiful. Then it hit me what to name the rest." I lifted another one and showed Bella the scrawled word on the bottom of it.

"Beautiful," she whispered. I nodded and put it back picking up the next one showing her again asking her to read it. "Bonita," she whispered, tears filling her eyes as they filled my own. I continued to read the word beautiful in different languages.

I lifted the last one and we both whispered, "Bella. Together we placed it on the tree. Bella's fingers lingered over the ornament. "They're beautiful, Edward." Her fingers skimmed over an old colored glass nutcracker.

Bella smiled softly as if remembering. "That's one of yours. Nessie said it's your favorite." Bella nodded, taking the ornament from the tree.

"It's not very old. I got it in California at an antique shop with my mother the year before she died. Pretty Woman was my favorite movie at the time." She laughed and lifted the ornament for me to see what was on the bottom. _Edward _was printed in Bella's script on a foot. She giggled then and said, "I always wanted an 'Edward' to be my savior." She placed it back on the tree and grinned.

"I'm no Richard Gere, love." I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her.

"No, you're not, because you're so much better," Bella whispered and kissed my lips softly. I grunted out appropriate response, causing her to laugh again. "Thank you, Edward. I needed this. I hadn't done this for so long. A lot of the ornaments are from my parents and Brianna. I should have never hid them away. They're all too precious, and I know it couldn't be easy facing Nessie and Jacob again, so thank you."

That night, I held her as we slept in _our _bed.

~oOo~

As promised, Nessie and Jacob showed up early the next morning. I kissed Bella good-bye and told her I'd be home before dinner. She was nervous since Jacob and I would be together, but I assured her that everything would be fine. Jacob and I had taken Bella's car, but Jacob insisted on driving. I only agreed since I would drive home. Without someone else with us, tension filled the car the entire ride. I tried to ignore it and the silence.

However, Jacob turned down the stereo halfway to our destination. "How did it go last night?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Technically, I prepared myself, since I'd known he'd want to talk. Jacob was a bit of a chatterbox; at least he used to be. I grinned as I asked, "Did you forget who I am?"

Jacob laughed and flashed me a smile. "Nah, I didn't forget. Hell, who can forget when you charmed the hell out of the office administrator to let me have an extra week to come up with what was left of my tuition."

I chuckled, remembering the much older woman that easily succumbed to my charms. "Mrs. Cope was too easy in those days."

"I think you were the only one that could charm the pants off of her. No one has been able to since."

"Well, what can I say? I learned it from the best. My dad could always charm my mother. She could never stay mad at him."

"Thanks, Cullen. If it wasn't for you, I would've never made it through those last years of college." I nodded and smiled, and after a moment his smile widened. "Do you want to know about the time I stuck a frog in Bella's underwear when we were little?"

I laughed. "Do tell."

"You know she's going to kill me if I do."

"Ah, it's out secret, Jacob."

About two hours later, we pulled into the driveway of a small two-story house with a large tree in front. I sighed as Jacob turned off the car. "You ready, Edward?"

I shook my head, but hopped out of the car and made my way to the front door. I rang the doorbell, and in a few moments was greeted by a familiar face. She stepped aside instantly, as if she knew exactly what I was doing there and allowed me to pass. I walked down the short hallway and stepped into a bright yellow kitchen. Sitting at the small table, in his chair, was the reason I'd traveled for hours to see.

"Hello, Jordan."

He spun around in his wheelchair, face flushed and his jaw tensed as he glared at me. "What the hell are you doing here?" I felt so fucking welcomed. Didn't matter, I was determined.

"Trying to make my fiancée happy and you make her happy." Jordan shook his head, his jaw dropping and snapping shut several times. "We can do this the hard way," I said roughly, "Or do it the easy way, Jordan. Either way, I'm not leaving here without you."


	28. Gifts

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight – Gifts**

* * *

For a brief moment, Jordan looked as if he wanted to take a swing at me. Not that I blamed him, I wasn't being particularly nice at the moment. Plus, I had knocked up his sister; I was positive that was how he saw it. Did I forget to mention that I also left her?

"Fuck, Cullen," he muttered. "I'm in no mood to deal with this kind of shit right now. Julie's fucking pissed at me. Jacob and Nessie are too, that they're not even coming for Christmas dinner. I can't handle more crap."

"Are you referring to your sister as crap?" I seethed. His eyes widened, taking in my stance and fisted hands.

"No! No, I mean this whole fucking situation." Jordan cursed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Why, Jordan? Why did you leave her?"

Jordan sighed and rolled passed me into the living room. Julie and Jacob sat on a sectional across the room, watching the exchange between Jordan and me.

"Have a seat, Edward," he said. At least he was hospitable.

"What are you doing here, Jacob?" Jordan asked, taking center stage in the middle of the room.

"I'm here with, Cullen. To help get your ass to Bella's," Jacob said, shrugging his shoulders with a big dopey grin on his face. Julie tried to stifle a laugh but didn't manage it. The ass seemed to enjoy that he was free to be a little mean toward Jordan. What was the saying? Payback's a bitch.

Jordan's head whipped toward her and glared at Julie for laughter. She glared back and cocked an eyebrow in question or even ire. She gave him "the look." It was the look that if you were to stare at it long enough, your balls might shrivel up and fall off. That look – men don't have a look like that. It wasn't fair.

I'd only earned that dark gaze a few times from Bella, hence why I know the couch pulls out in our living room. I cleared my throat, bringing Jordan's attention back to me.

"Why, Jordan?" I asked.

"First, you tell me why you left, asshole." I shook my head while Julie hissed his name.

"Well, the main reason was because I was angry. I had no idea what was real and what wasn't. I couldn't take her word for it since she lied to me from the beginning. I was scared too, scared that I already lost her."

I arose to my feet, walking toward the fireplace. On the mantel were dozens of pictures of Bella, her brother, and her parents. There was one picture of Bella taken, just before I met her all those years ago. Her face was pressed up against another girl who had braces, glasses, and short frizzy hair.

"I had to leave, Edward. I fucked up most of her life."

I turned toward him and who held a framed picture of Bella. "If I hadn't been such an asshole during high school, she would've had more friends." I looked at Jacob, who just shrugged in confusion.

"Most girls wouldn't give Bella the time of day because I had pissed them off. Those that I hadn't fucked yet tried to go through her to get to me. She hadn't trusted anyone but Brianna. I ruined any chance of her getting dates in high school. It wasn't because she was plain like she says, but because I'd kick any guy's ass for looking in her direction. Speaking from experience, I knew that high school assholes only wanted one thing, to get in her pants. She had no idea the extent of how many guys I had to scare away. In reality, I was protecting her from assholes like me." He replaced her photograph on an end table.

"The thing is I never really protected her. I made it worse. She's been with these assholes for so long. How do you expect me to take it? I'm fucking pissed, not at Bella, but at myself. She put her whole life on hold to help others like me."

"Jordan, I can understand why you'd see it that way. And it's true," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Umm…thanks, asshole. I feel so much better," Jordan hissed through gritted teeth.

"You want me to paint you a pretty picture," I said with a roll of my eyes. "That's not going to happen. Between what you and Bella have gone through, there is no way to paint it to look anything but devastating. There has been too much pain on both your parts. Do you think if you'd have known sooner about what she was doing, that you could've change her mind? Stop her?"

Jordan shook his head. "Fuck, no. I know my sister. Since she was able to walk and talk, it was integrated in her head to do all you can to help others. My mother drilled it into our heads, but Bella had a natural generosity. The only thing she ever had a problem with was allowing others to do the same for her. That and since Brianna's death, she has had a god damn hero complex. She thinks she needs to save everyone."

"Save others to make up for failing you and Brianna," I said.

"Exactly, now tell me Edward, how do I go back to her and tell her that I'm sorry I ruined her life?"

"She would never see what happened to as her life being ruined. I can tell you right now she doesn't regret anything she has ever done to get to where she is right now. Well… besides not telling me sooner. She can be happy now. She will be happy. We're going to have a baby and we're going to get through this together. But for her to be really happy, she will need you there too."

I exhaled in a harsh quick breath, feeling exhausted from such an emotionally draining couple of weeks. I sat back in the recliner before I continued.

"Jordan, she told me that all her subjects had a hand into molding her into who she is now. She would never regret her previous relationships."

"I guess I can see that. I hate to even think about it. But there is truth behind that statement. I did notice changes during and after her relationships. But that doesn't bother me. I can look past that. If you can, then I can try. But, Edward, I need her to forgive me. I don't think she'll give that to me now that I left when she needed me most."

"After your phone call, she cried in my arms calling out for you, Jordan. Trust me, she wants her brother back. As for forgiveness, that's something you'll have to earn."

"I don't have much a choice. I miss her. I need to know she's okay." Jordan nodded and he remained quiet for a brief moment. "So, I'll go with you."

I smiled and clasped my hand on his shoulder, "That's all I'm asking for." Jordan eyed my hand on his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. I immediately removed my hand, causing him to laugh.

"Julie, can you pack a bag, maybe my sister would allow us to spend the night," Jordan said looking over to Julie. She smiled and nodded, kissed Jordan softly on his lips and went upstairs.

"Hey, Jordan, do you mind if I show Edward, Bella's old room?" Jacob asked getting up from the couch.

"Go ahead. He might get a kick out of it."

"Wait, this is her childhood home?" I asked looking around the house. I should've known. The house was older and looked like it was well lived in.

"Yes," Jordan said sadly. "Bella was never felt comfortable staying here after Brianna died, we couldn't sell it." Jordan looked at a corner of the living room, his eyes somewhat distant.

"The stains of our blood wouldn't come off. One night after my parents and I had come back from a doctor's appointment, we found Bella tearing away the hardwood floor, with her bloodied fingers," Jordan said quietly.

I realized why his eyes remained on the corner of the room. On a small corner shelf, stood a lit candle with a picture of Bella and Brianna. I suddenly pictured what Jordan described and I felt sickened.

"Come on, Edward," Jacob said, pushing me toward a set of stairs. I followed as I tried to wrap my feelings around the fact that I was in the same house where Bella's life changed dramatically.

"Now, prepare yourself." Jacob chuckled when we came up to the door to Bella's old room. There was a sign on it that read:

Caution:

Enter at your own Risk

Turn Away if You Value Your Life

I Warned You

You're Still Going to Enter, Aren't You?

I chuckled, typical Bella. Jacob looked at me for a moment. "Bella was very um, simple on the outside when she was a kid. But on the inside she was –"

I gasped, my jaw dropped when he opened the door. Along all the surfaces of the room was a painted mural. The wall across from me was a depiction of a beach and a horizon with a setting sun. It was so beautiful and life like. I looked at Jacob in question and awe.

"Yes, she paints. She doesn't think she's any good but as you can see. She's full of shit."

Along the right wall was a small bed covered with dark blue sheets. The backdrop had a scene depicted of the lush forest that surrounded the sleepy little town. There was so much green in the painting that I had a hard time pinpointing where the ground started. I turned toward the left wall.

There was what can be only described as a meadow with light filtering from the clouded sky. The meadow was almost a perfect circle fringed with lush moss covered trees. There were tall grasses and flowers dotting the landscape. The scene was oddly familiar.

There was a vanity and dresser along the same wall covered in pictures. Book shelves flanked the vanity. The thing that amazed me was that her furnishings were painted to give the eyes the illusion that it was not even there or perhaps that it was part of the landscape.

I shook my head in disbelief. Most consisted of the pictures were of her and Brianna. But there were several that included her brother and Jasper. There was even one the pictures she took of us, sitting in my old room years ago. My eyes fell upon a picture of Bella with her arms around a woman that could only be her mother.

Renee had the same color of hair as her daughter, but it was straight with no waves in it. Her eyes were brown but lighter in color. Her skin was also a few shades darker, but their smiles were almost identical.

I smiled and touched the frame. She looked so happy and carefree. It was such an intriguing and beautiful combination for Bella. Jacob turned toward the bed and removed something from under the bed.

Unsure of where to looked, I turned toward the door I had just entered. Shocked at the painting I found there. It was the same sunset the adjacent wall, only there was a woman on the beach. She was watching the setting sun; her shoulders looked slumped as her hair caught in the breeze. Even if I couldn't see her face, I could see that it was Bella, a sad Bella.

"Ugh, I knew this thing was heavy but damn," Jacob complained as he pulled out a flat wooden case.

"What's that?" I asked, walking over to him.

"It's something you should take back to her." I nodded and helped him lift it onto the bed. It had a pad lock on it. On the corner was a small brass plague with _Painting Supplies, EGB_ on it.

"She hasn't painted in a long time. I hope that if you give this to her, she'll take it up again," Jacob indicated. I nodded in agreement. "It will help with the road that lies ahead." We both knew what he meant, the road to her recovery.

The four of us left shortly after, Jacob and I in Bella's car and her brother, along with Julie were in his Volvo. We made good time, and I decided to call Bella just to hear her voice.

"Hello," she answered slightly out of breath.

"Baby, what are you doing?"

"Making bread," she said cheerfully.

"It's the holidays, you could have just gotten store bought. You should be taking it easy."

"Ugh, I can't. I was seriously needed to get some frustration out. Kneading dough helps." I cleared my throat, because I knew exactly what kind of frustration she referred to. The previous night she had a very vocal dream, the kind that had me leaving the bed to take care of my own need. Fucking torture.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am," she answered with a small sight. "But I miss you. Um, is Jacob still alive?"

"Yes, of course. He's driving, again."

"I can't imagine you two running errands. Wait. He's not telling embarrassing stories about me, is he?"

I laughed throwing my head back. "My lips are sealed." Jacob cocked a brow and I just shook my head.

"How long until you come back home?"

"Soon, when will dinner be ready?"

"In about an hour."

"Love, can you add two more to our table?"

"Sure. Who are you inviting? Family?" She sounded hopeful.

"Yes, family, we'll be there before dinner is ready. Do you need anything?"

"Yes," she replied in a shy little whisper.

"What is that, my love?"

"You're lips," Bella said seriously, laughing along with Nessie by the sound of it.

"My lips will be there in while. Love you."

"Love you too," she said before hanging up.

"She's either going to kill you for not telling her that Jordan is coming. Or she's going to be so pleased that she'll think this is the best gift you ever gave her," Jacob said.

"Personally, I hope she won't kill me."

"Well considering that your last gift didn't bode well –"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair; I knew that the conversation of that would come up. "I know I was an asshole, Jacob," I said firmly. "I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time. I seriously thought she was going to leave me. That nothing was real. It fucking hurt like hell."

"Yes, but the way you did –" Jacob shook his head.

"Enlighten me. When you found out the truth, what the hell did you do?"

Jacob shrugged. "I begged her to stay with me, trying to convince her that she could love me."

Okay. I hadn't expected that. Nor did I know how I really felt about it. Technically, I had done something similar.

"When she refused to listen and explained why, you know the truth. I went to the closest club and fucked two women. One right after the other, in an alley and my car, and I fucking regretted it later that night. Tell me you didn't do that," Jacob said, looking over at me.

I shook my head. "I thought about it. Actually made it to the club, but I couldn't do it. It made me sick to my stomach. She was everywhere I looked. Then later that week I tried again but when I got there, I just didn't want to."

Jacob laughed. "Fuck, she really did a number on you. You passed the Drunk Bella Test, Air Tongs and can't stand the idea of fucking another woman. You're officially a successful case."

"Ugh, I'd like to mention the fact that she closed my case months ago. Thank you very much."

"Still, you both did a number on each other. She didn't sleep with any of her subjects for weeks building the UST factor."

"Fucker, you and Alice pushed us into sparring so the sexual tension went through the roof much sooner. Hell, it was there the first day I met her."

"Well, Cullen I can say that the past couple of days have been…pleasant. In fact, it felt a little like the good old days."

"Was I really that bad?"

"Yes, Edward you were. When we first met you were shy, just funny and shit, a decent guy. But suddenly some weight lifting and a gym membership on the campus and you're a fucking slut. Sorry, but you turned into an asshole. When you weren't preoccupied with lining up your next fuck, you were fun to be around with. But you got worse when you started to work for Carlisle's company. Then Bella and I started dating again and you were a prick about me being with one woman and tried everything to ruin it."

Shit, I really sounded like an asshole. "Hell, when you describe me like that…"

"Well, you didn't expect me to paint you a pretty picture did you?" Jacob grinned and laughed. I shoved his shoulder, muttering that he was an asshole. "You sounded like, Bella, when you were talking with Jordan."

"She's gotten under my skin."

"Dude, you don't want me to start on the sex jokes."

"Hell no, if you say one damn thing to me that concerns, you, Bella and sex, I'll kill you," I said seriously.

"I won't. I don't kiss and tell," Jacob said smugly.

"All right, fucker, you're looking for it."

"I'm just yanking your chain. Anyway, I really love her cousin. I know it's fucked up because of the whole 'they look alike' thing. I really wish I would've met her before Bella. Because I know if it had worked out that way, Nessie and I would already be married."

We arrived about twenty minutes before Bella planned for dinner to be ready. The four of us rode the elevator up quietly. I had Jordan and Julie wait in the hallway as Jacob and I walked in my apartment.

Bella ran into my arms within seconds. I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her and twirling her around. I pressed my mouth against hers for a moment.

"Missed you," she whispered against my lips.

"I missed you, too." I ran my hands over her bare arms, staring into her incredible eyes. She looked so good a forest green dress, almost glowing.

"Love, if you can anything you wished for, what would it be?"

She answered without a second of hesitation. "I'd wish for the sex ban to be lifted so I can play _Ride a Cullen._" For effect, she batted her lashes and pressed her soft curves against me.

I coughed and groaned. "Bella, I'm serious."

"Doesn't this face look serious?" Bella pointed at herself, looking perfectly composed and serene.

I kissed her nose and chuckled. "Seriously, please."

"I'd wish for our baby to be healthy, to be happy with you and our families_._"

I smiled. _That's my girl. _"Someone is here to see you, my love," I said, opening the door behind me. She gasped, because right behind the door was Jordan –standing. She launched herself toward him, wrapping her arms around him. He managed to stay upright, thankfully.

"Bella," he whispered, holding her closer. She sobbed quietly in the crook of her brother's neck. After a minute, she pulled herself together, and then punched his chest a few times.

"Don't you dare ever do that to me again," she said sternly. "Dinner's ready and waiting." With that said she turned on her heels and went to the kitchen.

Jordan rubbed his chest, cringing slightly. "Ow. She's gotten better at throwing punches. But that went better than I thought it would." I cocked an eyebrow. Jordan sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'll still need to talk to her."

I nodded and stepped aside for Jordan and Julie to come inside. Jordan sat back in his chair, rubbing his upper thighs. I hoped that he hadn't already taxed himself, but I was happy for the effort he put in his reunion with his sister.

Julie leaned down, placing a kiss on his cheek, whispering in his ear. It seemed like a private moment, so I went to see if Bella needed help.

Dinner passed with pleasant conversations; mostly about our childhoods. I didn't find it as difficult as I had originally thought it would to discuss my parents. Perhaps it was because I was sharing it with Bella. I loved to hear all about her when she was a child, the accidents, the independent streak that she'd had since she could talk.

All-in-all, dinner was fantastic. Dessert was delicious and I was finally being able to taste Bella's Apple Crumble that Jacob raved about on the way home earlier. We all retired to the living room and Bella wanted her brother and Julie to stay the night. Jordan agreed but told us they'd have to leave early to meet up with Julie's family.

"Okay, it's time to open presents," Jacob exclaimed, pulling Nessie to sit beside him on the floor by the tree. Jordan pushed himself off his chair, carefully settling with Julie along with the others. I was confused. It was Christmas Eve.

"Edward, we open gifts if we know we can't spend Christmas morning together. They're all going to visit others tomorrow," Bella explained.

I nodded and settled on the floor, pulling her down on my lap. She made a little sound of contentment as our hands settled on her stomach. Jacob started to read off names on the gifts, passing them out. "No all my gifts for you went under a tree. I have a couple but not the big ones. Those are for tomorrow," Bella whispered in my ear.

I nodded. "Same goes for you."

"Jacob, Nessie, we chose to get you something that I hope you'll be using soon." Bella passed a small box to them.

Nessie opened the red wrapping paper quickly and opened the box. She gasped. "Oh, my God."

"What is it?" Jacob asked looking over her shoulder.

"It's a vacation in Italy. Plane tickets, rental car, tours and a nice villa to stay at for three weeks," Bella said, smiling.

"Thank you, Bella," Nessie said softly.

"Thanks, Bells," Jacob offered with a wink.

"Hopefully, you can use it for your honeymoon," Bella said.

"Maybe," Nessie whispered, flushing from the attention on her.

Jordan snickered. "Oh, great."

"Don't start, Jordan," Bella quipped. He put his hands up in defense, catching the gift she threw at him. Jordan ducked and messed up Bella's hair. She told him she'd smack him the next he tried that. I believed her.

"Whatcha get me, sis?" Jordan asked, pulling the paper off his gift.

"Nothing much," Bella said with a coy little smile.

"Holy, mother of –" Whatever it was, Jordan was looking at it like it was the Holy Grail. "Is this…original?" Bella nodded. Jordan pulled out a packaged toy, a Star Wars toy.

"Fuck, she found it. The last one you were missing?" Jacob asked.

"Yes," he whispered. "Bells, this must of cost –" Bella placed her small hand on his mouth.

"Don't. I got it for you, and I can't return it. So live with it."

Jordan got his missing figure, a few collector baseball cards, and season tickets to the Seahawks. Both Nessie and Julie got some clothes, jackets, and all expense paid day at a spa. Jacob received some car part that and he started hugging Bella, thanking her. The man was crying. He finally got the part he needed to fix some old vintage truck for his dad.

I handed her the only gift I got her. Well, that I could give to her in front of her family. "Go ahead, open it."

She opened the box and inside was another, a wooden cherry box. On the outside was a little brass plate with the _Masen_ on it. She looked me, quirking an eyebrow.

"It's my family's recipes. My mother was an excellent cook. In that box are recipes both Masen and Davis that date back at least hundred years. Now you can add your recipes." She opened the box and touched some of the cards and pulled a few old handwritten ones.

Bella smiled, tears filling her eyes. "This is perfect."

"There are more but those presents have to wait," I said kissing her lips. She nodded and pushed a box toward me. It was lightweight. I opened it and inside was a beautiful leather bound composition book. Inside the first page something was written in her script.

_To the only man that makes my heart and blood sing_

_Keep composing and let me hear the passion that only you can express to me._

_With all my love,_

_Bella_

I kissed her lips softly before we opened the rest of our gifts. Jacob and Nessie got me a gag gift that included busted condoms, blue and pink cigars, and _Fatherhood for Dummies _book. Then they gave me my real gift, a really nice digital video camera.

Bella's eyes glazed over when she saw it. When I called her on it she blushed and shook her head. Then I understood. _Kinky Directorward_ _says action._

I shook the scenarios and scenes already forming in my mind when Bella cleared her throat. She smiled at me, then my little vixen grinded her peachy little ass against me. I bit back a groan.

_Fucking tease._

After cleaning up, Jacob and Nessie left while Julie and Bella's brother settled for the evening. Bella switched off the lights in the living room; the only light in the room was the flickering lights of the Christmas tree. She bent down to retrieve a gift from under the tree.

She placed it in my hand, asking me to open it. Inside was a silver heart ornament with our picture inside. Inscribed on the back were the words _Our First Christmas._

Together, we placed it on the tree. We took a moment and then I pulled her in my arms to carry her to our bedroom. I sat her on the bed but she stood up, turning back toward me, moving her hair to the side.

"Can you give me a hand?" Bella asked.

"Yes," I whispered. I closed the short distance between us and slid my hands down her arms, kissing her shoulder. After pulling the zipper down completely, my hands moved the thin straps off her shoulders and watched as the dress pooled around her bare feet.

I gulped as I looked over her body. She was in nothing but a dark green strapless bra with tiny matching green panties. I groaned, running my hands down her back before wrapping them around her waist.

She moaned, arching her back for a moment. Soon, her fingers worked on undoing my buttons of my shirt and my sanity. The look she'd given me then had the little control I had unraveling. "We may not be able to have sex, but it doesn't mean we can't make out like teenagers," she said wickedly.

I groaned, gently pushing her onto the bed. I pulled off my clothing in my haste, but I kept my boxer briefs on, the temptation too great. We made out like teenagers for what felt like hours, both panting and aching for more. But we both knew we had to wait. Wait to make sure our child was safe.

~oOo~

The next morning I woke up, lying on my favorite pillow, Bella's right breast. With a peak at the alarm clock, I gently laid back on my own pillow. I took a few minutes to myself, trying to think about how I was going to give Bella her gift.

I had originally planned on giving her a recorded oh my playing her lullaby but felt it wasn't personal enough. So I wanted to play it but with the lyrics. But the lyrics I had come up with weeks earlier didn't seem to fit anymore.

So much that happened since then, that it just wasn't her anymore. Bit and pieces still fit, but I wanted to play and sing another one. I had the perfect one in mind. It said everything I wanted to say. Luckily, I knew the song by heart.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard a door closing, alerting me that Julie and Jordan had left. It was still before five, so I decided to sleep in a little longer, falling asleep quickly.

"Mmm…" I heard Bella mumble. Then I felt Bella. Felt her tongue that is on the head of my cock, swirling.

I groaned, grasping the sheet beneath me. "Bella," I groaned loudly. She hummed around my dick, inching further down onto me. "What…I don't…oh God," I gasped as I felt the tip against the back of her throat. "It's not fair. You don't have to."

Bella popped off my cock, looking up at me. "I want to," she answered simply, returning to lavish my erection with attention. It felt so fucking good.

And I let her know just how good I felt. I moaned, groaned and grunted my way through her ministrations. Her lovely hands caressed and groped everything with her reach, including my ass and balls. She hummed around me, and unable to resist, I bucked my hips further in her mouth. I felt the familiar string in my abdomen, ready to snap. I groaned, warning her that I was about to come. "Fuck, Bella," I gasped.

I settled my sated body back on the bed, breathing deeply. Bella crawled up my body, placing soft kisses along the way. I wrapped my arms around her, groping her ass and running a hand up and down her spine.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered in my ear lowly.

"That was the best Christmas morning wakeup call ever, my love." I grinned, causing her to giggle.

"Come on, we have to hurry up and get ready. We have to leave soon," Bella said excitedly.

"We're leaving? Where are we going?" I asked watching her hop off the bed walking into our closet.

"It's a surprise. So come on," she said, taking my hand, trying to pull me off the bed. I groaned and pulled her back into my arms instead.

"I want to stay home," I said, trying to convince her with my lips.

Bella shook her head. "Nope, we have to leave for me to give you my present."

I grumbled, "Fine. I should get up and get ready to give you mine."

She cocked a brow curiously. "If you have lingerie for me, I can give you a fashion show."

"Love, if I got you some lingerie, I'd want more than a fashion show." I smirked.

She laughed as she headed toward the shower. "Care to join me, champ?"

"Like you'd need to ask," I said.

After breakfast, we quickly cleaned up and it was time for more gifts. I took Bella's hand, leading her to my piano. I sat her down beside me and started out with her lullaby. And like the first I had played it for her, I wiped the tears from her eyes. I kissed her nose playfully, then kissing her fully.

"Now, I wanted to play you a song that pretty much explains how I feel about you and everything that has happened. I had originally had written the lyrics to your song but I felt that the song is still unfinished. Until then, this song should tell you how I feel."

Bella nodded then laid her head on my shoulder as I started the song. Bella smiled, likely already knowing the song.

_I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

I poured everything I could into the song. For her to understand that I loved her and there shouldn't be any doubt in her mind that I did. Bella's eyes filled with tears, spilling over as I continued.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear_

I raised my voice to help convey just what she means to me. To show her just how much she has affected my life. 

I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is You.

Bella sat up straighter taking my hand and lifted the other to my cheek as she started to sway to the music filling room. She continued the rest of the song with me.

_I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know  
_

She sounded so beautiful and she was singing her heart out. Her smile and tears were making me just as emotional. She wiped my cheeks with her soft fingers; our eyes locked as we continued to sing.

After the last note was played, we remained still, my fingers still lingered on the kiss. Then, as always, Bella surprised me as she straddled my hips and kissed me sweetly and so passionately. I never wanted to let her go. I returned her urgent kiss with as much passion. After few minutes, she pulled away to breathe.

"That was the best gift anyone has ever given me," she whispered.

"There is a lifetime more to come, my love," I said, placing small kisses over her eyes and cheeks.

She nuzzled my still scruffy jawline. "I can do a lifetime."

I smiled and smirked as I pulled out another bag from under the piano. "Now, don't think I didn't get you any lingerie, because I did."

Bella laughed softly. "_You_ wouldn't be _you_ without thinking about doing _me_."

"You got that right," I said. She pulled out a particular sexy pair of black panties that would barely cover her ass.

"Come on it's my turn," she said, kissing me once more. I thought she was trying to convince herself to get off my lap, but not successfully. I internally gloated. Then I remembered that I had her paint set from home.

"I should tell you that I brought something back from your room," I said. Bella looked at me with wide eyes and she blushed. "Why didn't you tell me that you can paint?"

"I guess it never came up. It's not like I'm any good. What did you bring?"

I rolled my eyes at her. No good, silly girl. "Umm, Jacob pulled something from under your bed. It's large box of painting supplies."

Bella nodded and smiled. "It's funny you're brought me that. It actually has to do with your gift. Let's go. You're driving." She tossed me her keys and walked over to her desk to grab her navigation unit.

I went downstairs to the garage to get her car, since Bella was still unable to cope with being in the area. She saw this as weak; I told her I saw it as human.

Bella waited by the curbside in front of her building. She had a small blue cooler, picnic basket, and a blanket in her hands. Derek, our doorman had four wrapped packages. I took the packages from him and helped her put everything in the car. I continued asking questions or for hints to where we were headed. But she refused to budge on the matter. Her answer was only to follow the instructions of the navigation unit. From what I could read on the monitor, the drive would be four hours long.

I couldn't figure out for the life of me where she'd be taking me. But it seemed like a nice day out in December. There was a light chilly breeze but no snow or dark clouds in sight. It was surprisingly sunny. The perfect day to enjoy outdoors bundled but in warm jackets and in each other's arms.

Bella and I started to discuss some of our favorite Christmas memories. Her favorite Christmas was when her mother gave her a used set of paints and easel. That same day she painted something that to this day, hung in her childhood home.

My favorite memory was when my family and I were snowed in Chicago. There was a blackout in the area, so my father, mother and I spent the day unwrapping gifts in the candle light. My father gave my mother and me an entertaining show of shadow puppets.

It was once we reached the interstate that I recognized the area. We were headed toward Bella's hometown.

"Edward, what was your mother's full name before she got married to your father?" Bella asked a beautiful smile on her face.

"Um, Elizabeth Grace Brandon, she's actually from around here. I'm not sure of the town's name. I can't remember," I said sadly. Most of my memories of my parents were fading. "She lived there for the first sixteen years of her life. She moved in her junior year of high school to Chicago, where she met my father."

"Well, when you were in Los Angeles, I did a little investigating," she said. "Based on something your aunt Esme hinted on. Your mother and aunt were from Forks. Just like my mother." I looked at her in question. "My mother knew your mother when they children."

I was so unexpected, the information, that I sat there driving in a dazed stupor. Once we reached our destination, Bella asked for me to find a spot to pull over.

"Now, we walk." Bella smiled. Together we gathered all the things she brought for our little outing and took her hand.

"How far do we have to walk?" I asked, as she led me to a line of trees.

"Not long, about ten minutes." She smiled, looking straight ahead. She had to know how the suspense was killing me. And she enjoyed it.

"Any chance you're going to tell me where you're taking me?"

Bella shook her head. I pouted, to which she only laughed. We walked in a comfortable silence, taking in our surroundings. The forest was lush and green beneath a layer of snow here and there. It was oddly serene.

"When I was about thirteen years old," Bella said quietly, "Jordan, Jasper, and I all went hiking in this area. Somehow, don't ask how, I got separated from the group. They literally had to send out a search crew to find me. I was lost for hours. I came up to a clearing and I wanted to show you. Can you see the light filtering through the canopy up ahead?"

I looked where she pointed to and nodded. "Come on." We stepped through thick forest trees into a sunlit area.

A meadow. A familiar meadow. I looked at Bella, who was watching me. "It can't be that meadow, Bella," I said.

"I thought the same thing too. But like I said, I did some research. I found these in a local gallery." She took one of the packages from me and opened it.

It was an eight by tem framed painting of the same meadow. She held it up, asking me to put the other packages down. She opened the others and laid them down side by side. In each small painting it depicted the same meadow we were in, in different seasons.

I looked up at Bella who gave me a beautiful smile. "I recognized the painting in your beach home immediately when I saw it. The only difference was the signature. On your painting was E. Masen, on these," she held up the painting, placing it my hand. "Are all signed by E. Brandon, your mother."

I held the painting in my hand and looked around. The trees seemed a little thinner in the painting than here. "How do you know it's this place though?"

We placed everything on a blanket she had brought and she led me to a group of trees. "As I said before, I recognized the meadow. I'd seen your mother's paintings at the local gallery. And I asked the owner about them. They were part of his collection, been hanging there for years. Your mother painted them when she was younger, but each painting was dated after she moved. She must have visited here often, and I recognized this tree from your painting."

She traced the lettering carved into the wood.

_E. M._

_E. B._

"Your father must have brought her here before they were married." She smiled nervously at me.

I stood beside her, touching a carved E. "I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I just thought –" Bella sniffled, touching the area beneath my eyes. Her fingers came up wet.

I wiped the tears from her chilly, pink cheeks. "No, love, this is perfect. You gave me something that I never even realized. You found the one place that my mother loved to escape to in her daydreams." I took her face in my hands, kissing her softly, tenderly.

"The paintings?" I asked looking back toward the blanket.

"They're yours. I bought them from the gallery and donated a few of my pieces in exchange."

I thanked her without words, only touches and few presses of my lips. "Wait. Your paint supplies."

Bella smiled again and laughed. "Your mother gave them to mine before she moved. I had no idea they were friends until I found some of my mom's year books. I found your mother and Esme in it."

I laughed. "I wonder if my parents were still alive, if we would have met sooner."

"Your mother has been coming here for years according to Mr. Banner. He's the curator at the gallery."

"I'd like to come back soon to see this gallery." Bella smiled and agreed. We spent the remainder of the day lounging in the meadow, just enjoying each other's company.

"So, Jacob used to live around here too?" I asked, curious to know everything about her.

"Yes, he lived about ten minutes from my old house. The reservation is near First Beach," Bella said quietly, laying her head on my chest.

"Bella," I said pausing, wondering if I should continue. "This would make a perfect place to have a simple wedding," I suggested. We were danced around the subject since my return. We both knew it needed to be discussed.

Bella hummed then shifted so that her body completely encompassed me. Not that minded in the least. "It would be beautiful in the spring."

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, Bella."

Bella smiled. "I love you." We'd continued the discussion, but for some reason that little hint was enough to quell the curiosity about her feelings toward marriage.

We called it a day when it had become too chilly to stay outdoors. Bella pointed out places and her former hangouts while we drove through town. I got a kick out of seeing Jasper's childhood home. It was exactly as he'd described to me long ago. Bella then had me drive by my mother's first home. It was in bad need of repair. It had been abandoned and neglected for almost fifteen years. Well, I'd be calling the real estate agent, soon. I wasn't about to let it fall apart and neglect it as I had done with my memories of my parents.

Bella checked our messages when arrived home later that evening. My family called, indicating that they dropped our gifts there for us. Sure enough there were wrapped packages under and beside the tree. Apparently, Bella had given Alice a key once and never returned it. She wasted no time opening all her gifts.

However, I refused to open mine. Bella gave a look that clearly indicated that she understood but was a little disappointed in my behavior. She pointed out a large box in the corner; a gift from my aunt for the both of us.

The tag read:

_To Edward and Bella_

_Your mother, my sister saved this and I was able to save it for you._

_Love,_

_Esme_

Bella lifted the cover and inside was a beautiful mahogany antique bassinet, her eyes filled with tears. "Was this yours?" she asked softly.

"I remember asking my mother about it once. She said it was mine and that she'd one day give it to me, for my child."

"Wow." Bella smiled. "It's beautiful." I nodded. I may not have been ready to accept my family's apologies, but I appreciated the thought that went into the gift. Another piece of the past I had tried to forget.

Bella called my family on her behalf and thanked them for our gifts. She raised an eyebrow, no doubt wondering if I had anything to say. I shook my head, looking away. I just wasn't ready. I still needed time. I needed time to come to terms with everyone's betrayal.

Bella joined me in bed, snuggling up close to me. I sighed and pulled her as close as possible. I didn't ask any questions of my family and she didn't try to push anything about them on me. I appreciated it greatly.

"I don't really want to ruin this moment but um –" Bella said nervously.

"Spit it out, Bella. We already agreed no more secrets."

Bella sighed deeply, averting her eyes. "I have to leave again, soon."

My body, my mind, and fuck, my heart froze for a few brief moments. "What? Why?"

"I have to work on editing my new novel in New York."

"Were you planning on telling me?"

Bella nodded. "I was supposed to go in January. That's what the meeting in New York. The one I had to go to earlier, you know before everything happened."

"You were able to postpone it but not cancel it."

"No. I'm sorry," she said, holding me tighter. Afraid of me, I wasn't sure. "I tried. I really did, but if I don't do this, I liable to get sued. I'd lose millions."

"Okay. I understand that you have to go," I said quietly. "It's going to be hard for me to get away for that long since I'm already took this month off."

"Um, I know you can't come. It would be pointless for you to, because I'd be busy all day."

I nodded. "Again, understandable, but I feel a 'but' coming."

She sat down beside me, watching me closely. Nervously. Whatever else she had to say, it wasn't good. "I have to go on a book tour for my other books."

All right. A book tour. "How long?"

"Three months," Bella whispered. Nervous still. And she had every reason to be.

_Hell-the fuck-no!_


	29. Horrendous Holidays

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine – Horrendous Holidays**

* * *

Bella tensed beside me, sensing the change in my demeanor. "Before you go all 'Edward' on me, wait. Let me explain something," she started, looking up at me. She sat up, pulling away from me and rested her back and her head on the headboard.

"I have to do this for the same reason that I have to go and edit my novel."

"Bella, you'd be gone for fucking months and traveling while pregnant. What the hell are you thinking?" I seethed, clenching and slamming my fists against the mattress.

"First of all, this isn't something that was discussed and planned when I was in New York. This was planned months before you even came into my life. This is something that was planned before I even knew I was going to be a mother."

I watched her and could tell that this conversation was taking a toll on her. She was already exhausted from traveling for most of the day. Arguing now would not be healthy. Despite all that, this topic needed to be broached. The book tour, that would take her from me, needed to be figured out.

"Is there anything else you forgot to tell me?" I asked, snapping my jaw shut, trying to contain the verbal assault I wanted to give her.

"Um, I have to film a spot on Seattle's Local Spotlight on the ninth in January. Well not me, but my alter go I mean." She seemed rather nervous discussing this _alter ego_, but I had no idea why. I knew she had a pen name that she used, but I never did find out what it was.

"That's the day of your follow-up appointment," I reminded her, trying to clear my head. I needed to make sure that I thought about what I wanted to say. I had to be careful not to say something that I'd regret later.

"I know. I'll go to my appointment then I'll be filming after it," she said.

"We'll go to your appointment, together," I clarified, grappling with the aching pain that would no doubt overcome me when she left. She needed to understand that we were in this together. We had to make decisions together, as a unit. Her independent nature would not make it easy for either of us.

"You're angry," she whispered, averting her eyes.

I put my finger under her chin and moved it just enough to look into her eyes. "I am."

"Why?" she asked softly as she slid down and rested her head on her pillow. I mimicked her posture, pressing my forehead against hers.

"I don't like the idea of spending so much time away from you. It hurts too much," I whispered my confession.

She nodded and looked as if she wanted to continue, but she had to stifle a yawn instead.

"Edward–" she trailed off when I put my finger to her lips.

I sighed and shook my head. I didn't want to fight. She told me the truth and she knew it would upset me. I didn't want to cause her pain anymore, but this was something that would have to be discussed in detail, later. It wasn't the time or place. She was exhausted and she needed to rest.

"Just rest, baby. We'll talk about it later," I whispered, kissing her nose and cheeks. "Love you, always."

"You are always trying to–" she paused, yawning. "Distract me."

"Yes, but I have a good reason. You need to rest. You've been up since almost dawn."

Her eyes fluttered closed. "Love you," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

I watched her for a while, her breath became steady. She looked so peaceful and blissful when she slept. An hour passed before she started to talk in her sleep. "Don't go, Edward," she mumbled. I cringed, when I saw the pain was evident on her facial features, her hands clutching my waist, tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere, love," I murmured, running my hand down her back, hoping to soothe her.

"I don't want to go," she whimpered and nuzzled her cheek against my chest.

"I don't want you to go, either." I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.

I succumbed to sleep about an hour later. I ran countless different scenarios where I could get her to stay or a way for me to go with her. There had to be something that would allow her to at least cut her tour short.

Then I remembered something. Airline regulations didn't allow pregnant women to fly after a certain number of weeks into their pregnancies. I made a mental note to check out this information. Maybe if the publishing company were made aware of this, then she wouldn't have to go.

Yes, there had to be a way for us to stay together.

~oOo~

The next day we discussed her tour as well as many of the things that we needed to get out into the open. Though she was adamant that she had to tour this spring, I kept my flying information to myself. I needed to find out more of the facts before I brought it up to her.

The other big pink elephant in the room was, living together. Before all hell broke loose, she had already asked me to move in with her. I had to know if this was something she still wanted. I knew I didn't want to spend any time away from her. I needed her and wanted her, but it was ultimately up to Bella. I needed a way to bring it up in conversation.

"Edward, do you want to move in?" Bella asked after I voiced my concerns about going back to my place to get some clothes, _again_. I didn't even try to hide my annoyance.

"Well, that's what I was going to do…before," I said tentatively.

"I have to make more room for you. Now that I think about it there's no room for the baby."

I looked down the hallway and realized she was right. My place was no better as far as size, and I knew she wasn't comfortable there.

"We're going to have to look for a place," we both said in unison. We laughed and continued with our breakfast, eating heartily with her on my lap.

"I'll have to call a friend of mine who's a real estate agent. She'll be able to help us find something suitable," Bella said, taking a bite of buttered toast. She grabbed her PDA beside her and started to go over something.

I nodded, happy that she knew someone. I did too, but I wasn't interested in looking for a new place with someone I had fucked. Meeting other women that I had slept with, was something I was going to try to avoid. I didn't want Bella getting upset unnecessarily, coming face-to-face with a former conquest.

I felt a little uneasy, trying to accomplish such a task of protecting Bella from a pack of ravenous wolves. The harder I tried to prevent her unnecessary pain or stress, the more it happened. I was at the end of my rope discussing anything in her still fragile state.

On the outside Bella appeared to be able to hold on her own, I knew wasn't true though. Her nightmares and "the world" her mind created for her when it all became too much, was a testament that she wasn't as strong she seemed.

I hated that I had been the cause of so much pain. I reality, I knew that I was just a catalyst. The last episode was something that was long overdue. I still had a hard time believing that someone who had gone through everything that Bella had endured, was still able to watch the world with wonder and believed whole-heartedly in helping others in need.

I was lucky to have her.

We spent the day after Christmas playing with my new video camera and Bella modeling all her new clothes from my sister. She wouldn't model her lingerie. _Too much temptation._

The next four days were spent either at her apartment or the mall. I had gone out on one of those days to pick something up, and when I returned, I found her getting sick again when I returned.

She tried to push me away, but I refused. I held up her hair and rubbed soothing circles on her arms or back until she felt better. Once she had, I carried her around. She hadn't liked that, but kept her mouth shut to appease me.

She needed to get used to being cared for. As long as I was in her life, she would never want for anything. I'd always make sure she'd received what she needs.

It was New Year's Eve, and Alice was going to help Bella get ready for the company party held in my parents' home. I didn't want to go, but it just wasn't something I could avoid. I was basically the spokesperson and face of the company.

I didn't want to be here when Alice arrived. I knew that I would be forced to make small talk with everyone to maintain the façade of a happy family at the party. I wasn't ready to forgive them. I was ready to give them my gratitude for watching Bella while I was away. I had no doubt that if things had turned out differently, they would still remain by her side. They loved her, too.

To say I was nervous about the company party would have been a gross understatement. Not only because my family would be there, but because a lot of women that I had slept with would also be in attendance.

I also didn't know what to label me and Bella. Did I introduce her as my fiancée? Or girlfriend? Or as an employee? Ugh, my head felt like it was going to explode with all the thoughts that swirled in my mind.

Bella and I still hadn't managed to talk about one of the thoughts that had consumed my mind since I reentered Bella's life. Were we engaged or not?

The first attempt at asking her to marry me or at the very least discussing it with Bella was thwarted by Ruby. The second time, I was drunk, tore off her necklace, causing her pain, and I demanded it. That was not exactly something a person could regale to kids and grandchildren.

No, even if she saw me as her fiancé, I needed to give her the proper proposal. The one I had in mind since the concert. To pull my idea off I needed…Alice.

I don't know why I had avoided the conversation for so long. She was still wore her engagement ring, but she wore it before all hell broke loose, too. I had no idea what it meant.

The discussion couldn't be avoided any longer. I made a mental note to remind myself that when we returned from the party, we would discuss either our engagement or hopefully wedding plans.

I wanted that spring wedding.

I finished getting ready, fiddling with my tie. I slipped into my tuxedo jacket and ran my hand through my hair. I actually managed to make it look nice. I quickly ran to a corner florist and grabbed a beautiful bouquet of exotic flowers. The scent reminded me so much of Bella's delicate floral scent when she was aroused.

I tamed my body's reaction to the familiar scent and parked my car in front of _our_ building.

I greeted Derek, the doorman who smiled jovially. He had threatened me earlier with promises of dismemberment if I made Bella cry again. I laughed at the memory of how serious he was.

With the flower bouquet in hand, I knocked on her door even though it was my place, too. I just wanted the night to feel special. It would be the first time we made a public appearance since The Gala.

The door flung open and Bella stood there with her dress unzipped and her lovely face flushed. She smiled brightly and threw her arms around my neck, kissing me full on my lips. I groaned when I felt her strapless dress was slipping off.

"Bella," I gasped for breath while her lips started to kiss and suck behind my ear. "Baby… uh … dress," I managed, but fuck, I wanted her to keep going.

She stepped back, holding her dress up with one arm while she held the flowers in her other hand. "Sorry, I just missed you."

"I missed you, too. Why exactly are you holding your dress like that?" I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The dress hugged her torso and hips wonderfully and flared out just before her knees.

"Oh, Alice had to leave after she finished my makeup and hair. I can't get to my zipper." She smiled then turned. I chuckled and closed the distance between us. Her hair was elegantly falling down her back in loose curls with the sides of her hair pinned up. I gently moved her hair and draped it over her shoulder. Kissing her neck, my hands followed the curves of her hips and waist until I found the zipper at the small of her back. I zipped it up slowly, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin against my fingers.

I continued to kiss her neck until I reached the light reddish scar across the back of her neck. "You're not wearing your hair up because of this." I kissed the scar gently a few times.

"Yes. Don't worry, Edward. I'll get it taken care of. It will have to wait until after the baby," she whispered as she moved her hair back to hide the physical evidence of the pain that I had caused her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed her back against my chest. "I love you," I murmured, kissing her temple.

"I know," she laughed, softly. "Ugh, look at these things. I'm just ten weeks along and I'll have to go up a bra size, soon."

I looked over her shoulder where she poked the ample swell of her breasts. I groaned deeply, dropping my forehead on her shoulder. I hadn't seen her completely naked for a while and even though I touched and nipped at her lovely skin, it was in the dark. And since she pointed out that her breasts were indeed fuller, I couldn't help but become excited.

"Can't we skip the party and go make out like teenagers again?" I begged, kissing her neck once more.

"You and I both know that we can't skip the party," she said firmly as she wiggled her ass against my arousal. I groaned, tightening my grip on her. "I will, however, promise to help with this," she moved against me again, "later."

"Tease," I growled playfully, gently biting her shoulder. Bella jumped slightly, moaning as I soothed the area with my tongue.

"Okay, I'm going to put these in water. Can you grab my shawl? It's on the bed."

Ten minutes later, we were on our way to my parents' home. Bella watched the world outside her window quietly for a few minutes as I drove. "Edward, how are you going to introduce me, tonight?"

I tensed because I had no idea. I was relieved that she brought it up but at the same time, I was intensely nervous. "I'm not sure. How would you like to be introduced?"

She sighed and looked down at her hand, touching her ring. "I think to business associates, I can be introduced as the Charitable Projects Manager, and to anyone that you feel necessary to tell, as your girlfriend." I sighed and didn't even attempt to hide my displeasure. She didn't see us as engaged.

"Edward, don't be angry. I want this part of our relationship to remain untouched by gossip and speculation. Please. Just for now."

"Gossip and speculation? What does that mean?" I questioned, unable to look at her.

"Edward if you introduce me to an associate as your CPM and your fiancée, what do you think will be the first thing that will come to their minds?"

"That you're absolutely beautiful and will be completely jealous of me," I answered honestly.

"Be serious, Edward. The first thing that will come to their minds is that I slept my way up to the top."

"Oh," I said plainly. She was right. The ruthless people of the business world would think that. "I can understand that you want to wait on telling people that we're getting married, but…"

"I know what you're thinking. Of course we're getting married," she replied. I let out a breath that I had no idea I held. "As soon as you ask me."

I groaned, shaking my head. "Third times a charm, baby." I laughed with her. I pulled up to my parents' home and gave the keys to the valet. I walked over to her side to help her out. I wrapped my arms around her. "Bella, I want to give you the world. And yes, I plan to give you one hell of a proposal."

"One that will leave me speechless and weak in the knees," she said and grinned playfully.

"Indeed," I whispered, taking her bottom lip and nibbling on it lightly.

She moaned softly but her hands pushed me away. "Behave," she chastised.

We entered Carlisle's remodel of a 1913 Timbered Tudor home that had been renovated over the last six years. It was the same house that became my home shortly after the first time I met Bella all those years ago. My adoptive parents' original Seattle home was only three bedrooms, and my uncle found it shortly after I joined his family.

I held on to Bella's hand as we walked into the foyer that led to the piano room on the left and the formal living room on the right. Just ahead of us was a beautiful set of stairs that went up to the first set of bedrooms and study.

Bella took in the sights all around us. The house was decorated in lovely simple Christmas decorations in the traditional colors. I could hear the soft, elegant notes of the piano from the left. It stopped when Bella and I stepped further into the Piano Room. Carlisle's shoulders tensed slightly but he regained his composure and continued to play. He smiled toward us, but I quickly looked away and around the room. There was a beautifully decorated tree beside the south bay window.

My aunt was chatting away with Mr. Peter Conner, a business associate. His wife, Charlotte would be my first obstacle. I fucked her during the last New Year's party, upstairs in my old room. She was married and all over me the year before. It hadn't help that I was completely drunk or else I would've never have allowed it to happen. Not necessarily because she was married, but because she was married to someone that I needed to keep happy in order to maintain a business relationship.

I was in hell. And she was already eyeing me. I chickened out and went straight for Carlisle. Bella looked at me curiously but didn't comment. "That was wonderful, Carlisle. It seems like you've been practicing," I said calmly.

My father figure rose from the piano bench and turned to face me and Bella. "Yes, Esme will never allow me to quit." He smiled at Bella and embraced her. "How are you, Bella?"

"I'm – I mean _we're_ doing fine." Bella said softly touching her abdomen. Carlisle smiled, looking where her hand lay.

"I'm happy to hear it." He turned toward me and offered a smile and a nod. "Edward, how are you?"

I pulled Bella closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm doing very well now that Bella and I are moving in together."

Carlisle smile brightened. "I'm happy for you two. Which apartment are you moving into?"

"Well, right now mine," Bella said thoughtfully. "But we will be looking for a new place after the New Year, to accommodate for the baby."

"Well our family uses –"

"Bella already knows someone," I interrupted before he could mention Heidi. He nodded and didn't pursue the issue any further.

"Yes, I know someone. She and I went to school together. I'm sure she'll be able to help us," Bella said.

"Well then, why don't you two mingle? Edward, make sure you talk to Peter, Paul, and David tonight. We need their assistance on the City of Seattle Project," he said, turning to find my aunt.

I internally groaned. Avoiding Peter and his wife, Charlotte, were no longer possible. Bella smiled knowingly and shook her head.

"I'm stepping into a mine field, aren't I?" she said, cocking an eyebrow. I bit my lip, a habit I picked up from her, and nodded slowly.

She suddenly stood up taller and straightened her posture, holding her chin up high. She plastered her "I'm faking it" smile and winked at me. "Let's go have some fun," she said over-enthused.

I smiled brightly and leaned in to kiss her lips once. "I love you. Only you."

"I love you, too." She led me toward Esme, who was speaking with Charlotte.

Charlotte and Peter made up one of the top home décor designer companies on the west coast. Some of their rooms and homes had been in magazines and featured on the cable TV channel Fine Living. Their design firm had proven to be a valuable asset to our company since the beginning. Many of their clients came to us for renovations and new construction by way of their word of mouth. They were an intricate part of the networking web that Carlisle and Esme had built over the years.

I looked around the room and noticed Katherine Holden, Melissa Jacobs, Megan Riles, and Rachel Jameson. All of which were a part of that web that I put in jeopardy because I fucked each one of them.

Bella noticed my demeanor immediately. I stopped just in front of my aunt and leaned in, kissing her cheek. I knew I would never be able to stay angry with her. My mother and Esme looked so much alike, and she was essentially my mother since I she took me in.

Her lips lingered on my cheek, and I felt a tear slip down her cheek. "Hello, Edward, Bella," she said, pulling away from me slowly and embracing Bella delicately. "You look radiant, my dear."

Bella blushed slightly and smiled. "So do you, Esme."

Esme introduced Bella to Charlotte, who hadn't taken her eyes off me during the introduction. I felt like I was on display. I offered to shake her hand, but she thrust her hand to my lips. With my arm still around Bella, I felt her tense slightly.

"Edward, it's been a long time," Charlotte said, barely concealing the hint of huskiness to her voice. I shivered involuntarily. Bella giggled softly beside me.

Charlotte was a nice looking for an older woman. She was sophisticated and well kept. But what she had in her physical beauty, she lacked in subtly. Her long dark hair was smooth and straight and had an unnatural shine to it. Her pale grey eyes always held some kind of dark secret about someone with power. She was well-known for her manipulative and blackmailing ways.

It was what worried me. If I showed no interest in her obvious intentions, would my company suffer for it? I brushed my lips across a knuckle and dropped her hand. She let it linger mid-air for a moment, glaring. Her eyes shifted to Bella and they roamed over her figure.

I stiffened when she finally noticed my arm around Bella's waist. She looked back up at me and cocked an eyebrow in question. I had no intention of following her upstairs, so I had to make that clear.

I cleared my throat and said, "Charlotte, Bella is also my girlfriend." Bella tensed slightly beside me. She was aware that I only said girlfriend because we had agreed that I'd introduce her as my girlfriend to who I felt it was necessary to.

In other words, all the women I nailed or who had made attempts toward me. I was so fucking dead.

Thankfully, Peter rescued us from the claws of his wife. I tried to listen as he spoke with Bella about a mutual friend from California who loved the work he had done in her home, but Charlotte's attempts at gaining my attention were becoming less and less subtle. Her blatant disregard of the proximity of Bella and her husband was trying my patience and composure.

Charlotte was trailing her finger up and down the neckline of her dress and licking her lips. I completely ignored her attempts at seduction, but I was aware that she was closing in on my position. She stood right in front of me, her eyes locked on my package.

I thought for a moment, that she thought she was getting a rise out of me. No woman besides Bella had ever been able to accomplish that with just a mere look. I was disgusted with her aggressiveness. Before Bella entered my life, I would've viewed that kind of attention as nothing more than flattery and eagerness. Not anymore.

I never approached a woman that aggressively. There was never a need to, but it seemed that Peter's wife was going to pull out all the stops. She cupped my ass suddenly, causing me to jump away in surprise. Peter's eyes widened and so had Charlotte's.

Sensing what had happened, Bella started to laugh, "Sorry about that, honey. I guess I win first round." We all looked at her curiously. "Edward and I are playing a little game tonight. See, the one who can take the other by surprise the most by the end of the night wins. In this case, I pinched the side of his waist," Bella said, laughing again. "I just didn't expect him to jump so high."

Peter actually laughed out loud at that. "Then my dear, I think he earned a point, too."

Bella smiled brightly. "You're right. One to one. It keeps the magic flowing."

I was in complete awe of her. In what could've been a disastrous argument in front of everyone, she'd managed to keep her cool and come up with a way out of the tenuous situation.

Charlotte ignored me for the rest of the evening. I managed to talk with everyone I needed to and introduced Bella to an array of people, including those I tried to avoid. By the end of the night, I introduced her as my girlfriend to fifteen women. When I introduced her to Melissa, she had completely pulled away from me. She even refused to take my hand again.

She was whisked away by Phil Knight, who wanted to introduce her to other philanthropists in the area. I knew it was important for her and the company's future projects so I left her to mingle.

From across the room, I watched as Bella's eyes suddenly widened as Alec and Jane Winthrop walked into the room. They were a brother and sister team that held a lot of weight on development in the area. Jane's eyes narrowed in on Bella as she stomped her way toward her. I swear I never fucked her; I was positive about that. But something had happened between Bella and Jane that caused this animosity.

I looked at my aunt who was stood near them, and she just shrugged. I hadn't been aware that Bella knew anyone else in the area. I sensed a possible problem and made my way toward them. Once I reached Bella, I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her temple. "Sorry to be away from you so long, love."

Jane placed her hands on her hips. "Edward Cullen was the other potential subject besides my brother?"

I tensed and looked at Bella. "He knows all about that and he is no longer a subject, Jane. Drop it."

"Why did you choose him over my brother? He needs just as much help as Edward does," Jane said, leaning in, making sure no one could hear.

"Easy, your brother needs a different kind of help, Jane. My breaking his heart would've made things so much worse. He needs to talk to a doctor. Drop it, now." Bella said firmly, her jaw clenched.

"My brother is fucking my friends left and right. I don't have anymore friends left. Drop Cullen and I'll give you triple your fee." Jane said desperately, looking at her brother who was draped over Phil Knight's wife.

"I'm no longer taking subjects. Ever," Bella clarified.

"You fell in love with him," Jane said, stupefied.

I bristled and shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, I did," Bella said quietly. She led me away and left Jane in the center of the Piano Room, looking dumbfounded.

I pulled Bella into an empty hallway for privacy. "What does she mean her brother was a potential subject?"

Bella sighed and looked at me. "I was offered to do both of your cases. I would never take two at a time. I had to choose. I chose your case."

"Are you telling me that all this could've been different?" My question was asked in a firm, brisk tone that instantly made her square her shoulders.

Bella nodded and whispered, "In all likelihood, if I had chosen his case I would be on his arm and you'd be upstairs right now with Charlotte or Rachel, Katherine, Melissa or any one of the number of woman you introduced me too."

She walked back in the living room and disappeared among the throng of people. I went to take a seat and grabbed a drink at the bar Carlisle had set up in the corner of the room. I felt a heavy hand hit my shoulder. Emmett.

"Hey bro," he said quietly.

I hadn't bothered to look at him. "Why did you do it, Em?"

"Well, you were an asshole, Edward."

I looked at him then and cocked an eyebrow. "You were no better than me before Rosalie. Don't give me that bullshit. Every one of you had an ulterior motive."

He shrugged and smiled. "Tell me, before Rosalie what did you think of me?"

I furrowed my brows and thought back to when I first came to live with him and the rest of his family. "Honestly, I thought you were a little crude and rude."

"Exactly. Face it, I was an asshole. I had different girl coming in and out of my room. Hell, you even covered for me on one too many occasions. In fact, I was a terrible role model."

I sat there and thought about what he was saying. I shook my head as I pondered that yes, it was true that his previous treatment of women had been just as bad I used to be. "You're not responsible, Emmett."

"Maybe not. But that's how I felt. I wanted you to have what I have with Rosie. I wanted you to have what mom and dad have. I wanted you to have what yourparents had."

"I have that now. Bella said that you may have some news?" I looked over at Bella as she was talking with Phil Knight and Mayor Nickels.

"We're pregnant." He grinned.

I smiled and wrapped my arm around his shoulders. "Then allow me to buy you a drink."

"Hey, drinks are free, asshole."

I punched his arm. "It's the thought the counts."

We discussed due dates and morning sickness together for a few minutes before Rosalie joined us. I understood her reluctance toward me before. For the past couple of months, she talked with me like we had been friends for years. Her usual cold demeanor was gone. Her blue eyes shined with delight at the prospect of becoming a mother.

According to the early tests she had while hospitalized, Bella's due date was July twenty-fifth. Rosalie was due in early August, and Alice was due in the middle of August.

Alice and Jasper invited us to table in the corner of the room with enough seating for all of us. I looked around for Bella and noticed she was in deep conversation with my father and Phil. She turned and gave me a small smile for a moment.

My family stepped away for this or that, and I found myself alone. It allowed me time to contemplate our relationship and my thoughts lingered on if Bella and I really belonged together. I didn't want to cause her any more pain. The party had been painful. I knew that she felt out of place and uncomfortable speaking with so many of my former conquests as they sharpened their claws and glared at her.

Being with me seemed to only cause her pain. Would it get better? Were we really meant to be together?

My aunt took the chair beside me, bringing me out of my dire reflections. "Edward, are you all right?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on my own.

I turned my palm up and took her hand, not meeting her eyes. "How can I make sure that she never knows emotional pain again? How do I know if can spend the rest of my life with her and not cause her to walk away?"

"I think you were meant to be together," she said softly. "I knew exactly who she was the first night I met her at dinner."

"I know that you knew her mother Renee when you were just children."

She nodded and smiled. "She looks just like her. I knew she was Renee's daughter. Do you know that you would've met her long before you did?"

I looked at her, confused as she thankfully continued. "You were supposed to spend the summer with your uncle and me while your parents attended to a new clinic in Africa. I was going to surprise my sister by purchasing our childhood home in Forks. If I had and…" she trailed off, since we knew what had happened.

"If my parents hadn't died that winter, I would've met Bella that summer." I sighed deeply.

"Yes, after Elizabeth died, I didn't have the heart to buy the house. I didn't even keep in touch with Renee. I should have. She meant a lot to my sister. Elizabeth visited her every year since our family's move to Chicago."

"I have no idea what could've happened if I had met her then." I turned to look at Bella across the room. "But I'd like to believe that I would have been just as taken with her then as I am now."

Esme patted my hand a few times. "I'm sure you would've, too. Now go, help her out."

I turned to find that Bella was surrounded by a group of women. Charlotte stood in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest. I rose from my chair and walked toward them. Alice suddenly pulled me back.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"She needs to learn how to handle herself when she's faced with your past," she murmured, looking over at Bella.

I could overhear Charlotte as she whispered, "So you're the new flavor of the night," she sneered.

Bella smiled smugly. "I must be one hell of a flavor. He keeps coming back for seconds." I smiled and stifled a laugh. The rest of the women snickered.

"It won't last. It never does with Edward," Charlotte snapped back at Bella.

"So when did he get over Vanilla Charlotte?" Bella asked, still perfectly composed as if she were discussing politics.

Charlotte blushed deeply and looked like she was ready to fight. Bella leaned in toward her. "Maybe if you took the time that you spend fucking other men, you'd be aware that your husband is totally and completely devoted to you." She stepped back and looked at her nails. "Not that you deserve it."

Charlotte looked over to Peter, who without a doubt, looked at her with complete adoration. She sighed and walked toward the bar, leaving the other vultures to fend for themselves. They scampered away quickly, leaving a very smug Bella behind. She looked at me, winked and crooked her finger.

I went to her side and kissed her softly on the lips. "Let's get out of here, love," I suggested. I wanted nothing more than to throw her over my shoulder and wrap my arms around her all night long.

We made sure to say goodbye to my aunt and uncle before we left and promised to call them soon, making plans for us all to sit down and have dinner and talk. Bella said she was rather proud of me.

I told her that the way she handled herself tonight made me hot and horny. She slapped my arm and rolled her eyes at me. What? It's true. I am a man.

I slept quite nicely that night on my favorite pillows. Bella's breasts were incredibly soft and contoured perfectly under my cheek.

We spent the rest of the week, leading up to her film spot on Seattle's Local Spotlight and the doctor's appointment, by moving the rest of my things to her apartment. In the end, we decided to keep my Volvo, Bella claimed it was the safest for the baby. Our higher end cars were placed in a storage facility within Seattle.

Bella made arrangements to meet her real estate friend the following week. We also had plans to go to dinner at my parents' home on Wednesday with the rest of my family. Bella has Alice meet us at the studio to help Bella get ready for her spot on TV.

Bella didn't seem nervous at all at the idea of being in front of a camera. "No, the cameras don't bother me. I've done a few other spots here and there and several radio shows," she indicated as she packed a small duffel bag with hair products and makeup. "Ugh…I just hope I fit in the dress your sister insists I wear."

We left shortly after breakfast and I drove us over to her doctor's office downtown. The quaint little office was in an obscure building. It was decorated simply with soothing colors of blues and greens. Bella started to fill out paperwork while we waited. I watched a young woman pass her hand over her rounded stomach.

I smiled a little to myself. I couldn't wait to see Bella that way. Round and happy as I touched and sang to her stomach, to our child. I continued daydreaming, feeling the little familiar tug on my heart whenever I thought about our baby. Lately, I had let my mind wander to that daydream of us walking the trail with our little girl on my shoulders.

I hoped that she would have her mother's eyes. Those deep chocolate brown eyes would help get her anything she wanted. I had grown immune to the "puppy dog" look that Alice had always given me to get her way, but with Bella in my life, I quickly found that with one word "please" and her brown eyes, I was instantly hers. I'd give her the world if she asked for it.

I was positive that our child would be no different. She would want for nothing. I'd give her all her heart desires. Bella elbowed me, looking up at me. She passed me the clip board that she used to fill out her information.

She pointed to a section, asking me to fill it out. I looked down to where she pointed as she went through her purse looking for something.

_In case of emergency contact:_

_Name:_

_Address:_

_Phone Number:_

_Relationship to patient:_

I filled out my information and when I came up to the last line I wrote, _Fiancé. _Her eyes glistened as she read over what I wrote. She placed a feather light kiss on my lips, whispering her love.

She had no idea how much it meant to me that she wanted me to be her emergency contact. It may not be a big deal to someone else, but it was to me. It meant that I was a part of her future. She was ready to move on from the uncertainty of the last few weeks.

Ten minutes later, Bella was called by the nurse. She took my hand and we walked behind the brown door that led down a non-descript hallway.

She bit her lip nervously as the nurse asked her to step on the scale. The nurse huffed loudly, "Since your hospital stay you've lost weight Ms. Swan, in fact nine pounds."

Bella nodded and flushed pink. "I've had morning sickness and loss of appetite." Of course she lost weight. The hospital stay alone must have taken a toll on her. The past couple of weeks had been stressful and I often found her barely nibbling on her food.

The nurse wrote something on a chart then had us follow her to a room. She gestured for Bella to sit on the exam table and for me to take a seat. She fussed over Bella, taking her blood pressure. She continued by poking her finger to get a sample of blood to get her iron levels.

The nurse stepped out and Bella sighed loudly. "I hate doctor offices."

"Why is that, love?" I stood up and stood beside her and leaned my upper body over her. She shrugged her shoulders and covered her face with both of her hands.

"I guess mainly because I have never gotten good news when I've been to the doctor."

"Baby, even if something is wrong now, we're in this together. Besides everything will be fine," I assured her and pressed my lips against her forehead, the only part not covered by her hands.

"I want to believe that everything will be good. But Jordan and I were born premature. I was in the hospital for weeks until I was able to go home. I was barely four pounds. I was so tiny. I want to make sure she or he is born healthy."

"You can't think that way," I said, shaking my head. "I don't understand. You tend to see the silver lining in every situation but your own, Bella. This baby, _our_ baby is strong, so strong he or she survived a surgery near his or her environment. We'll be strong together."

I kissed her lips when she moved her hands. Her fingers found purchase in my hair, deepening the kiss. I happily obliged her entrance into my mouth with a small groan. After a few minutes, she pulled away to breathe and moan softly. Unable to rest, I continued to press my lips along her neck and slid my hands under her blouse. I touched the smooth expanse of her stomach, feeling her muscles clench under my touch. I lifted her shirt enough to kiss her tummy.

"I love you, sweetheart," I murmured just under her belly button. Bella's fingers played with my hair, humming her lullaby. I looked up to see the unfathomable love in her eyes. Love for me.

"I love you," I mouthed before returning my attention to her tummy. "Now, little one, you are not dating until you move out of the house. Unless you're my son, in which case I won't let you leave the house once you hit puberty."

Bella's abdomen reverberated from her soft laughter. I smiled at her and kissed her tummy again. "Now, I have to ask you to please take it easy on mommy's body. I'm quite fond of it."

Bella slapped the back of my head. "You ass, you can't tell our baby that."

I shrugged my shoulders. On Bella's abdomen, I tapped the start of a new melody that had been in my head since I came to terms with the fact that I would soon be a father. She hummed to the movement in perfect harmony.

A knock on the door brought us out of our melody. I straightened up and stood beside her, taking her hand in my own. Bella called out, "Come in."

A woman in her mid- to late-fifties came in. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled up in a bun that was pinned just to the base of her neck. She had a black pen tucked behind her ear as she held up Bella's chart and read through it.

"Hello, Bella. Your iron is much better, but it's still not at the level that we need it to be." She still hadn't looked up to greet us as she continued to study the chart. "Keep taking your iron pills."

Her pale sea green eyes looked concerned and genuine as she finally looked up at Bella. "Hmm, that's quite a bit of weight you lost. Is your morning sickness that bad for you?"

"No it's not bothering me too much, Gina," Bella smiled at the doctor brightly.

"Bella, how are you darling?" She smiled at Bella like she was greeting an old friend.

"I'm doing well except for the usual. I'm so happy that you decided to take me on as a patient."

"Of course I would dear. It's not every day I get to deliver a child into this world from one of the children I helped deliver."

"Yes, but back then you were just a nurse. Look at you now." Bella smiled and embraced the woman.

"Edward, this is Dr. Gina Banner. She was there when my brother and I were born. Gina, this is Edward Cullen."

I smiled and shook Gina's hand. "It's nice to meet you. I wish I could read your mind for just a moment. I would love to get a glimpse of baby Bella."

Gina nodded knowingly. There were no living relatives that could tell Bella or Jordan anything about their childhoods. Bella had to rely on faded pictures and scattered memories. I think that was one of the reasons why she was working so hard to make an album for our child. She wanted to preserve our memories for our child.

Childhood memories tend to fade over time. I knew this feeling. My memories faded over the years, not because I was getting older but because I let them. I made a mental note: _Ask my aunt about my childhood days._

"Okay, now lay back. Bella. Since you had all the necessary tests at the hospital, there is no need for a pap. But I'd still like to feel your abdomen to see if there are any anomalies," Gina said calmly, noting the look of terror on Bella's face.

"Baby, it will be fine," I assured her, placing my hand on her back to ease her into position. She held onto my hand tightly, feeling the soft touch of her doctor lifting her blouse.

Gina asked questions every time she pressed against Bella. Thankfully she didn't show any discomfort, but I noticed her pulse quicken along her wrist. She was obviously frightened for the baby.

"Well everything feels fine. But to be on the safe side, let's do an ultrasound. It will also help determine how far along you are. When was the date of your last menstrual cycle?"

"Um…almost a year, the medication I was put on stopped me from having a normal period. I did spot for a couple of days around mid-October," Bella answered thoughtfully.

Gina looked over Bella's chart again and nodded. "The hospital showed eight weeks before your surgery with a July twenty-fifth due date. I think you're further along than twelve weeks but let's make sure." She asked Bella to pull down her jeans while she pulled a computer out of a tall wall cabinet on the west wall and rolled out some other equipment on a rolling cart.

Bella wiggled a little, unbuttoning her jeans that were considerably loose on her, just past the top of her hips.

"Will we be able to take a recording of the heartbeat?" Bella asked sweetly as she watched Gina set up the monitor.

"Yes, I can record the sounds. There won't be much to see yet, but I'll record the images as well if you'd like." Gina smiled and took a seat on the round stool beside the exam table. She removed a bottle from a holder on the side of the cart and warned Bella that it would be cold.

Dr. Banner squirted some grayish purple gel just under Bella's belly button. Using some kind of gray wand with a lighted bulbous tip, she spread the gel substance around her abdomen. The doctor pressed a little harder here and there and seemed to be searching for something.

Bella's hand tightened around mine, and my head snapped up to meet her gaze as I watched a tear slip from her eye and trail down her cheek. I understood then. It was taking too long. Sensing Bella's discomfort, Gina patted Bella's knee in a gesture meant to comfort her.

After a few agonizing moments, a fast thumping filtered through the speakers. _Pa dum pa dum pa dum_. Everyone in the room let out a collective sigh of relief. The grip of Bella's delicate fingers tightened around me again, but this time it was from sheer happiness. I watched as her face brightened with an incredible smile and tears flowed from her expressive warm eyes.

"That's our baby's heart beating," she whispered as she brought her free hand up to caress my wet cheek. I nodded, unable to say anything. Words stuck in my throat as we listened to the proof of the life growing in her belly.

"That indeed is your child's heart beating. Now let's make sure he or she is the only one in there." Gina chuckled as she moved a cursor across the screen.

"Oh, what are the chances?" Bella asked, watching her doctor.

"Well let's see, your mother was a twin and you yourself are a fraternal twin, so I'd say the chance for a multiple birth is a little over fifty percent."

Bella groaned. "Goodbye size two."

I chuckled at her, earning a glare. She returned her attention to the monitor. The doctor fiddled with a round mouse and moved the cursor across the screen, typing the baby's heart rate and various other things.

"Well they weren't too far from the mark. You're about thirteen weeks along and your due date is," Gina consulted a little chart with some sort of wheel, "July seventeenth."

"Just one little one?" I asked, curious that she hadn't touched on that subject again.

"Well, it's hard to tell right now. Bella has a lot of scar tissue from her surgery, which made it hard to find the heartbeat in the first place. Sometimes this early on, twins hide behind each other. If I remember correctly, Bella was a surprise to her mother."

Bella smiled at Gina and nodded. "Yeah, I'll say. She always called me her bundle of surprise."

"Your mother didn't know she was pregnant with twins?" I asked.

"No, even though she had one ultrasound, I wasn't visible. Well you've seen Jordan, he took all the room." She chuckled.

"So we won't know for sure until she's further along, doctor?"

"That's right. I'll do an ultrasound once a month to monitor any chances for fibroids to reappear. You'll also have to come in to have your iron checked until it returns to normal once a week. Chances are, it won't return to normal during the duration of your pregnancy but we'll do our best to get it as close as possible.

"Any questions?" the doctor asked, passing me a few tissues. I wiped Bella's tummy clean and helped button her jeans before helping her sit up. It was my chance to voice my concerns about Bella traveling long durations for her book tour.

"Doctor, Bella is planning to do a book tour for about three months beginning in March. Will it be safe for her to travel then?" Bella tensed beside me, her eyes widened and she glared at me. She was obviously angry that I chose to bring it up.

"Well most airlines restrict flying after thirty-six weeks but some don't allow it after twenty-eight weeks. So flying will be out of the question during the last month of your tour. I'd feel more comfortable if you stopped flying after twenty-four weeks. I'm just concerned about possible problems that may arise. As I said before, there is a lot of scar tissue which normally shouldn't cause problems, but can cause pain from time to time as the area stretches out to accommodate the baby. I'll know as you progress in your pregnancy if you can travel after the twenty-four weeks but Bella, you should prepare yourself to having to cut your tour short."

Bella nodded. "Can I go back to work now?"

"Yes, you are allowed to return to work. You're also allowed to have sexual relations, for now," Gina said with a little smirk and a wink.

My ears perked up at her statement. I shivered in anticipation. "Thank you, Gina." Bella started to stand up. Gina handed her a CD and a slip of paper for another prescription for iron pills and prenatal vitamins.

"Give this to the medical assistant up front to set up your next appointment in two weeks and what days you can come in to have your iron checked."

Bella stepped out of the exam room and handed some paperwork to the receptionist up front. About ten minutes later, we were sitting in my car. The silence was deafening. She shifted in her seat and she pulled out her PDA.

"You should have voiced your concerns with me, Edward. My agent and I had it all planned out. Three days at home, one day to travel, then three days making appearances. Now eighty-seven days of touring has to be condensed down to one month. Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"I was just worried about you traveling for long periods, baby. It would take a toll on you," I said calmly.

"Yes. I understand your apprehension. If you took the time to ask more questions, you would've known that the last half of my tour was all within driving distance."

"Driving for anything more than four hours would be too much for you during your pregnancy."

"I'm not a fucking delicate little flower, Edward! I know what I can and cannot handle. I don't need you to smother me." I grimaced. Is that what she felt what I was doing to her?

"I must admit that I should've discussed my leaving for the tour long before we got so involved, but you are trying to control me. I will not tolerate that."

I nodded in understanding. "Bella, I'm not trying to control you. I'm just looking out for you. You have a tendency to put others' needs before your own."

"I…ugh…I know I do. I'm not used to someone trying to take care of me. It's a little unnerving." Bella sighed and dialed a number on her phone. "Now it's time to break the news to Karen and Rachel. My agent and publicist. You'll meet Rachel soon enough." Bella smirked. It sounded like a warning.

Shit. I was in so much trouble.

"Hello Karen," Bella said. I listened in on Bella's side of the conversation. "Everything is fine. I can officially go back to work. "Yes, I'll send that revised outline to you tomorrow. "We have problem." Bella was silent for a moment. "My doctor recommends that I stop traveling around twenty-four weeks."

"What?" I heard her voice carry over from Bella's seat, even with the phone being held away from her ear. A slew of profanities escaped from Karen's obviously sharp tongue.

"Karen calm down. Remember your blood pressure," Bella said calmly. She remained quiet as she listened to her agent's voice. "No, Edward just brought up my tour at my appointment." More profanities could be heard from Karen's end. "He was concerned as he should be." She gave me a small smile, and I was relieved that she defended me if she was upset with me. "I know Karen. Yes, I know. I'll look into leaving right away now."

I tensed. _What?_

"I don't think that's necessary. Karen, no…I," Bella looked at me briefly. "Fine then." She handed me the phone. "She insists on talking to you."

I gulped and took her phone, thankful that I had found immediate parking near the studio. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" Karen asked firmly.

I was about to say something but she cut me off before I could get in a word in.

"I'll tell you what you did. After she already had to reschedule her tour because of her hospital stay, she'll seem like a flake to everyone when we call to reschedule _again._ Not only are you risking her reputation in her current genre, you're risking the reputation she was hoping to achieve when her new book comes out and she reveals her true name. She insisted on the tour setup she originally had. A few days every week with you, but now you'll be lucky to see her once during the forty-five days we will have to cut her tour down, too."

"Why can't she do this tour later? When she's not pregnant," I asked defensively.

Karen sighed. "Do you really think it would be plausible for someone like Bella to travel while her baby is at home?" Fuck. Of course she wouldn't want to leave the baby for long periods of time. "Put her back on the phone, jackass," she snapped.

I clenched my jaw shut at her harassing tone and handed the phone back to Bella.

Bella was silent while she listened to the nonsense that Karen was most likely telling her. "Fine, the first week of February to the middle of March. I'm sorry for this. If you'd like there's an extra percent in your bonus," Bella said as she gave me a little wink.

She hung up with Karen and was quiet once again. After a few minutes, she turned to face me with her hands placed carefully on her lap. "What were you hoping to accomplish with discussing my tour with my doctor?"

"Honestly?" I asked her as she quickly nodded and waited for my answer.

All right, I could do honest. She needed to know the truth. "I don't want you to go. I can't live damn day without you, let alone think about going for weeks. My main concern is the health of you and our baby. You've been under tremendous pressure and stress over the last few weeks you don't need to add a strenuous schedule to that. I'll worry constantly every moment that you're gone. I'll die just a little every hour I can't be with you. Did I mention that I'm worried about our baby?"

I slammed the palm of my hand against the steering wheel and averted my eyes. She remained quiet while we sat there beside the studio.

"I felt the exactly same way when I called Karen after my hospital stay. Karen, Rachel and I worked for days; they worked for weeks to accommodate my needs. We had no idea about the regulations for flying, should've known that. It was supposed to be three days home, three days touring and one day to travel. We had it all worked out. Now that you made Gina, nervous I have no choice but to comply with her wishes. The tour will be cut short and I'll be lucky if I see you at all. Not to mention that now I'll have to put therapy on hold until I finish. If something is bothering you –"

"Don't put this whole fucking situation on only me. Yes, you told me about the tour but you didn't mention the schedule. If I had known –"

"I wanted to give you details but it seemed like you didn't want to hear it," Bella murmured, turning away from me, hiding behind her dark curls.

I sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You probably did. But I may have subconsciously avoided it. It's my mind's way of avoiding painful subjects."

"I'll have to start my tour sooner."

I nodded taking her hand in my mind. "I know, and I'm sorry about that. I just wish you didn't have to go. Besides the health of you and the baby I'm essentially a selfish man. I need you too much."

"Can't need me too much, champ. It sounded like you enjoyed your shower this morning," she quipped.

I smiled, shaking my head and exiting my car. Alice was parked a few cars down from us with a garment bag draped over one arm and a large bag slung over the other. Remembering that she was indeed pregnant, I took the bag from her and reached in the backseat for Bella's bag.

A producer named Andy waited for us at the side entrance. We were shown to a room where a huge mirror and lights with a large counter was along one wall. Just to the right of the vanity area, a section was a screened off for changing. There was also an enormous TV screen that was showing the Morning Show live.

The host Mark Davidson would introduce Bella. She would be featured on the Local Celebrities Section of the mid-show broadcast of Local Spotlight. I turned to look at Bella and asked, "This is live?"

Bella nodded. "Of course it is, silly."

Andy the producer tapped my shoulder, seeking my attention. "I know that you're not interviewing with Isa today, but we need to make sure you look presentable since you and Mrs. Whitlock will be sitting in the audience. From time to time the camera will be pointed at you; for example, Isa will be asked if she is currently seeing anyone and she'll introduce you."

I nodded dumbly. I've done photo shoots for newspapers and on occasion have been asked a question or two during a news broadcast but never have I actually had to sit down and deal with the media before. Wait a minute, _Isa_?

"Andy, he looks fine," Bella called out from where she was perched, in a tall chair alongside the vanity. I looked at her, noticing that she was in a robe while Alice and another hairstylist fussed over her hair.

"Fine," Andy said quickly. "Okay Isa, I'll come and get you a few minutes before you're on. You two," he said toward Alice and me, "I'll come and get you before that, so you can take your seats. I nodded and sat down, keeping my eyes locked with Bella's in the mirror.

"I'm sorry, that must have been a little overwhelming," Bella murmured, grimacing slightly when Alice tugged a little too hard on her hair.

"Alice," I hissed, not bothering to hide my displeasure.

"Sorry, _Bella_," Alice quipped as she continued her current method of torture on my Bella.

Closing my eyes, I allowed my head to fall back against the couch. I permitted myself to go over what happened this morning. If I had known that she was planning on spending half the week with me and the other half on her book tour, I may not have brought up my concern to her doctor.

I was a fool to think that Bella would not have made plans to accommodate for our baby. Of course she would. She probably planned the time to be home just to appease me. I felt foolish. If I had just let things be, I would see her over the course of her tour every week. I was pleased that I informed them about airline regulations. However, I would be lucky if I was able to see her once over the course of her tour. And she may leave sooner than she originally planned. Fuck.

Just the thought of not seeing her warm eyes when I woke up every morning seemed painful. To not see her for days, or worse, weeks at a time would be absolutely unbearable.

Time seemed to pass quickly before Andy showed Alice and me to our seats. I wasn't able to see Bella since she was hiding in the dressing area of the room. We had great seats in the middle of the first row. I recognized Mark and Monica Alvarez sitting on the set, which was arranged to look like an average living room.

There was a large red couch for the guests and two brown chairs positioned side by side that the hosts were occupying.

Alice bounced up and down in her seat. "Finally, I get to find out just who her alter ego is." I laughed at her antics and enthusiasm just as the lights brightened slightly.

"Welcome back everyone. We have a special treat for you today. I'd like to introduce new again resident of Seattle, a New York Time's Best Seller and world famous sex-therapist to the stars, Isa Virgin."

"Oh my god!" Alice gasped, "She's…she's Isa V. Holy shit."

I gasped as the lights focused on a side entrance through a pair of double doors on the left of the stage. Bella walked out waving toward the audience.

Fuck. Oh fuck. Just who the hell was this woman?

There she stood, the embodiment of a goddess and sex all rolled up into one person. Her hair was impeccably straight but had the just the right amount of shine and bounce to it. Her hair normally reached just past the middle of her back, but it was much longer. I watched in complete awe of her as she walked seemingly on air in the sexist black dress I have ever seen.

The dress was simple but left little to the imagination. The sleeves were loose around her shoulders and arms but cinched slightly at the wrists. The neckline plunged down to her waist. The top portion of the dress was not fitted and the neckline allowed the sides of her breasts to peak out. The rest of it was loose and rested just past mid-thigh. The whole look was capped off with the sexiest pair of black stiletto boots.

I suddenly wondered how much longer this would take, how fast I could get her home, and what color panties was she wearing. Then again, she probably wasn't wearing any.

Bella strode across the stage and kissed Mark on each cheek. She did the same with Monica, exchanging greetings in Spanish with her. She sat prettily, crossing her legs carefully on the red couch. She looked like she belonged up there. Sexiness and confidence emanated from her very being.

She was Bella but uber-Bella. Shit I could barely handle the one I had.

"Welcome Miss Virgin," Mark said, smiling happily. Mark is in a relationship, I reminded myself.

"Thank you, Mark and Monica. Please call me Isa," Bella said as she took a sip of water from a cup that was placed nearby for guests.

"Now Isa, how about we start by you telling us what you write and how you got started," Monica asked, watching Bella adjust the hem of her dress.

"I take pride that I'm a self starter. I self published my first book. By the time I was ready to publish my second, a publishing company picked up the rest in the series.

"I mainly write how to books, ranging from how to survive your first date to how to seduce that hunky neighbor. My approach is different from your typical how to books. I tend to write out little scenarios using fictional characters, all the while pointing out how things would differ if you the reader would want to move faster or move slower. It all depends on what the reader would do, depending on who he or she is pursuing."

"You also give pointers on positions and first times with the readers' love interests," Mark stated, like a question.

"Yes I do. Sometimes the first time should be intimate, especially if the reader is interested in taking the relationship further from just them sleeping together. I also point out that sometimes being spontaneous is best, instead of planning everything out. As I said before, it all depends on who you, as the reader, are pursuing. I teach my readers how to read the signs. If they are exerting too much pressure or going too slow, then the other person may lose interest."

"Well, I know I'm a fan of your work. Having all three and currently waiting for number four, I do come to wonder about your name," Monica said curiously.

Bella laughed, putting her hand on her chest looking the whole time like a timeless actress. "Well while I was writing my first book, I knew that I didn't want to use my own name. Not that I'm ashamed of what I was writing. It was mostly to keep my life as private as possible.

"I needed something that would cause someone to do double take when they saw a book. I used the first three letters of my full name and came up with the title. I had many choices most of which cannot be said on TV." Bella winked toward a camera and smirked.

"Isa Virgin was more like a joke, who would buy a book from someone claiming to be a virgin? I thought it was an excellent marketing ploy. A gag gift, if you will. I started giving my books to friends for birthdays or bridal showers. Next thing I knew, one of those friends asked for more copies, then those she bought them for asked where they could get a copy. Soon after that, I sold about five hundred thousand copies worldwide offering it only online. Then the publishers came knocking on my door."

"Now while living in California you practiced as a Sex and Relationship therapist to some of the most influential people in Hollywood. Tell us what it was like working with them," Maria questioned.

"I am not allowed to divulge the nature of my patient's sessions with me. I am allowed to say that some have a hard time balancing their relationships with their loved ones and their fans. Both require attention but one more than the other. I simply help them find a middle ground."

Bella smiled brightly, taking another sip of water. Mark glanced at card in his hand before looking up at the teleprompter. "Now we're all curious, what is your real name? Before you give us that, we'll be taking a short break."

There was a collective groan as Mark continued, "We'll return with Miss Isa Virgin, where she'll reveal to us who she really is _and_ a little about her very public relationship."

The lights in the studio dimmed slightly and I was once again struck dumb. I watched as Bella leaned toward Monica as she whispered something in her ear. She turned to look at me and Alice, giving us a wide smile and wave.

"She looks hot, huh? I had no idea she was Isa. I have her first two books. Now she can autograph them for me." Alice prattled on and on.

I wasn't being rude. It was just hard to concentrate on anything but Bella on stage. I'm not sure how much time passed, but the stage hands asked for quiet on the set as they returned on air.

"We're back with best-selling author and sex therapist, Isa Virgin. Now before we go into your more personal life Isa, I was wondering if you mind showing me something," Mark asked as he blushed slightly.

The audience laughed at his obvious discomfort. Bella just smiled and nodded."Which position?"

_What the fuck?_

"Um…my girlfriend asked about the Ballerina. I would love to know if it's achievable." Mark glanced down, his usual jovial demeanor placated.

"How tall is your girlfriend, Mark?"

"About five-five," Mark answered.

"You're about six-two," Bella said as she appraised him. I clenched my fists in the recognizable red haze that accompanied my jealously.

Mark nodded. "Then no, it's not achievable." Mark looked clearly disappointed.

"Unless she wears heels. If she's good on heels and lightweight enough, you should have no problem supporting her. If she is not confident in heels, then you will need to support her back against a wall or closed door."

Mark's eyes widened and he bit his lip nervously. Bella stood up and took his hand, tugging to get him to stand.

"It's a good thing I'm wearing shorts under this dress," Bella teased, placing her left hand on Mark's right shoulder. _What the fuck was she doing?_

She placed his right arm around her waist. She asked him to bend his left arm at his waist. She hitched up her leg into the crook of his arm. Mother fucking son of a – I was going to tear him apart.

"It's important that you don't alarm her when placing her leg in this position. You'll need to gauge her reactions to see if there is any discomfort. Now Mark, raise my leg and rest it against your shoulder."

Mark's eyes widened, and I could distinctly hear the audience and the hostess laughing. Mark watched Bella's face intently as he hitched her lovely leg against his shoulder. Her dress hitched up around her perfect ass.

Fuck. _She's coming home with me. She's coming with me. She's coming home with me. She's the mother of my child. Fuck, I'm going to kill him for putting his hands on her. For agreeing to do this shit. _

"Notice that this position offers a chance for a different angle and deeper penetration." Mark visibly blushed and gulped. Bella sensing what I hope was only his discomfort, asked for him to help bring her leg down again.

I sat there clenching and unclenching my jaw and fists. I noticed Mark's fingers splay across Bella's back, almost pushing her against his chest. I started to get up from my seat but a hand held me back.

"This is who Isa Virgin is. This is what she does. This is not your Bella. Calm down before you ruin her entire career," Alice hissed beside me through her teeth.

"Did she know that she was going to do this?" I asked, watching as Bella gave out a few pointers on achieving the ultimate orgasm. Fuck, she didn't blush at all or anything. It was like she was discussing dinner arrangements with a client or her personal assistant.

"No. Not that I know of. She was speaking to the producer earlier. Maybe they decided to add this to get more ratings."

"Or maybe to get a rise out the audience," I grumbled. Alice laughed softly. A camera moved into position just in front of me low to the ground so I could still watch Bella.

"Now tell us your real name and what you have planned," Monica said.

"My real name is Isabella Swan. I am currently working as Charitable Projects Manger for Cullen & Cullen. I'm also the founder of the charitable foundation New Beginnings. As Isa, I'm releasing a fourth book in two weeks called 'How to Seduce Your Brother's Best Friend.' I'm also working on my first full length novel called 'The War Within' with hopes to release in late next fall."

"Well you are certainly a busy woman. What do you _do_ for fun?" Monica asked, leaning toward Bella.

Bella smiled wickedly and looked straight at the camera. "My gorgeous boyfriend, Edward Cullen."

Alice laughed out loud beside me along with the rest of the audience, and I just smiled at the camera when the camera man pointed at me. I rolled my eyes and winked, earning a few more giggles.

Monica and Mark laughed along with Bella, who was still smiling and looking at me. She mouthed to me, "I love you."

And I returned it on national TV.

~oOo~

I couldn't get her home fast enough. She was still dressed in her boots and dress when I ravished her in the elevator. "Fuck, you look good enough to lick," I crooned, sweeping my tongue over the length of her neck and pressing her against the door of our apartment the moment it closed.

"Oh god, Edward," Bella gasped as she removed my belt with snap, tossing it aside.

"What the hell were you thinking doing that on live TV?" I growled, biting the soft skin at the base of her neck.

"Do what?" she asked innocently. I bit her again, earning another plea to god.

"You know what you did. Don't fuck with me." I pushed the dress down easily over her shoulders, where it landed in a pool around her feet. _Her panties are blue. _Correction her panties _were_ blue. I laughed to myself as I ripped them from her body.

"I…ugh…they asked me at the last minute," she explained, her fingers threading through my hair roughly.

"You know what we're going to do, baby?" I asked, my hands roughly cupping her breasts. Her nipples instantly puckered against my warm palms. Fuck they were gorgeous. And mine.

"_We're_ going to do the Ballerina. I know I can support your tiny body, but I want fucking leverage. I'm going to fuck you against the door. Would you like that, baby?" I groaned, feeling her hand suddenly on my erection.

"Yes," she gasped as she tore the blue button down shirt I was wearing clear off, buttons clinked on the floor around us. I quickly discarded the rest of my clothing. I admit that when we left the doctor's office I had every intention of making sweet, passionate love to my Bella.

However, seeing her as Isa, in that fuckhot dress, in those tantalizing boots, doing those things that she should only do with me, I had to claim her. Remind her who she belongs to, me – only me.

She pushed me away slightly as her beautiful eyes roamed over my naked body. I did the same, noticing her little birthmark on her left breast, the gentle slope of her belly, and oh my fucking hell – her bare fucking pussy. _Gah._

I knelt down and hitched her boot-covered foot on my shoulder. I kissed her clit, loving the sounds she was made of soft whimpers, long moans and quiet sighs. It was music to my ears, the kind that went straight to my cock and imbedded into my memory forever.

My hands explored the length of her long, silky legs. I pushed the flat of my tongue, taking a long sinuous wipe where she was hot and wet. Bella's hand steadied herself in my hair, tugging, silently asking for more.

With the tip of my tongue and two fingers, I explored with open mouthed kisses and deep thrusts. She moaned softly, grinding her hips against my tongue and fingers. She gasped when I gently scraped her skin with my teeth, nibbling gently along her lips and clit.

"Edward," she moaned over and over again and got louder as she reached the pinnacle of her orgasm. I gently bit down and sucked on her clit until her trembling body eased.

I continued, taking all her body had to offer after her release, already making her unsteady and needy. With a firm hand on her foot on my shoulder, I held onto to her hip and slowly stood up. I gauged her reactions to make sure I wasn't hurting her.

I wasn't. All I saw in her eyes was love and passion and they were lidded with lust.

Four weeks without sex was a new record for us. Though Bella helped me to my obvious enjoyment of her close proximity, I had spent a quite a few lonely showers taking care of the problem myself.

It was all her fault. She was too irresistible for her own good. It was likely not to last long. It wasn't going to be slow and loving. It was going to be fast, hard, and hot. I stood up straight, pushing my body as close I could to her. She was right, the angle would be fucking incredible. The mere thought had me twitching in anticipation.

"Edward, quit fucking with me," she whispered, thrusting her tongue in my mouth. Fuck. She tasted herself on my tongue and that shit made me lose all sense of control. With one hand on her leg and the other on her hip, I bent my knees slightly and thrust inside fast and hard.

Bella cried out and I groaned in her mouth. Fuck she always felt so good. I remained still, allowing us both time to revel in the feeling of our connection.

It was one of the most powerful ways to tell each other how we felt. There were times where we fumbled with words. But here like this, this connection we shared, there was no denying the love we had for one another.

I pulled out and slammed back in, earning another cry. I pulled away from her lips to make sure I wasn't hurting her, but all I saw was pleasure as she stared back at me.

The depth I was achieving seemed impossible but I was there hitting her hard and fast. Each thrust earning a sound from my Bella. Each sound was a note in a song in the claiming of Bella Swan aka Isa Virgin.

They were one in the same. They were both mine.

Bella's nails dug into my shoulders as she used my body as leverage to meet my every thrust.

She met my every need. She anticipated my every move. When she pulled away to breathe, she angled her neck so I could lick and suck her sweet skin. When I pulled away to breathe, her lips were there, kissing and biting along my jaw, causing my pleasure to peak with every nip.

"Come for me," I groaned deeply, playing with her already sensitive clit.

"Yes," she gasped. Her muscles clenched around me hard and tight and it was so fucking hot. With another thrust she cried out my name in ecstasy. Another three hard and fast thrusts and I buried my face in her hair and groaned, spilling inside her.

I helped put her leg down on the floor but remained inside and held her up, her legs unsteady. We lingered there, catching our breaths.

"Did I hurt you, love?" I whispered, kissing her neck softly.

"No," she said quietly.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Um…this isn't our apartment."


	30. Note

**AN: **

**

* * *

I replacing the note that was originally here. It had been filled with old teasers from new chapters for upcoming chapters to this story and others. But I found out if you remove the chapter like that, that it messes up your chapters, and people might not be able to review new chapters. **

**Hope you're enjoying it so far.**

**Thanks, **

**Ericastwilight- fanfiction**


	31. A Day in the Life of Dr Swan

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty – A Day in the Life of Dr. Swan**

* * *

**Betaed by lisa89**

* * *

My eyes widened, and I looked around us. There was a large black leather couch in the living room that I did not recognize. Along one side of the wall were framed black and white photographs of different male and female body parts in various forms of bondage.

"Where are we?" I asked, stilled shell-shocked and fuck if I wasn't a little turned on at the prospect of getting caught.

"Jim, is that you?" I heard someone down the hall of the apartment we were in. My breathing hitched, because I could've sworn that I recognized the voice. "I'll be out in a minute," the voice called out right before a door closed.

I returned my attention to Bella, who was laughing quietly.

"We're in Megan's apartment. You remember, the owner of the gym, and one half of the swinging couple. She would've loved to have seen us like that." She grinned as my eyes widened and I paled.

"Bella, she's fucking scary," I said seriously. "She has bigger biceps than I do."

"Then I suggest you get out of here," Bella said followed by another soft laugh. "She might be tempted to spank you."

Bella quickly sought out her dress and threw it on. She was having trouble with it, as the links kept getting caught on the dress inside. The dress wasn't even covering her ass when she gave up and started collecting my clothing.

I quickly threw on my boxers when I heard Megan coming down the hall. Bella's eyes widened, and she pushed me out the door, but wasn't able to follow me.

Then I heard Megan. "What the fuck?"

"Um…hi, Meg," Bella said, allowing the door to close completely.

I quickly threw on my shirt, despite the fact that a few buttons were missing. I leaned against the apartment door, trying to listen to what was happening inside.

I felt bad that I had left Bella there to handle the situation on her own. However, I also knew that she could handle herself, even with the likes of Megan.

"Swan, is there a reason why you're half naked in my apartment, looking like you been properly fucked?" I heard Megan ask Bella as I cowered half naked in the hallway with most of my clothes bundled in my arms.

"Well, I had to hide from Edward," Bella said breathlessly, with a hint of playfulness in her voice. "His dick was chasing me, asking for another round,"

I threw on my pants, wary of anyone that could come out of the elevator.

"Swan, why the hell would you be hiding from him?"

"Really, Megan, there is only so much my pussy can take."

I quietly laughed and buttoned up my pants as I continued to listen in.

"Hmm, I can help you with that, Bella. You know…" I didn't hear whatever Megan offering Bella, but I had to admit I was a little turned on. _I'm one sick bastard._

"Megan, I already told you – I don't swing that way. I've tried it before, and it's not for me." There was an edge to her voice that told me she was getting into her doctor mode.

_Wait, did she say that she's tried that?_

"Fuck, Swan, you need to get that pert ass out of my apartment before I bend you over the table."

Oh my God, I'd pay to see that. Fuck, I was hard again. I should have been ashamed of myself, but _I wasn't._

"See you at the party tonight?" Bella asked.

"You bet your little ass we'll be there. What are you teaching this week, anyway?"

I had no idea what they were talking about, and their voices were much quieter, so I was unable to discern anything further.

I heard the unmistakable sound of Bella's cell phone ringing, which she answered. The voices within Megan's seemed to become more distant, and I was unable to make out anything for a few minutes.

I saw the door knob move, which meant that Bella was leaving. I sprinted down the hall, because I was not interested in becoming Megan's chew toy.

Megan reminded me of that tall actress that had been married to Stallone a long time ago, but bigger. I couldn't suppress my shudder as I made it to the apartment.

I could hear Bella and Megan just down the hall. "Swan, this isn't going to mess up our doctor-patient relationship, is it?"

"Of course not, Megan, I'm still your doctor and friend. Now I have to ask – um, you don't have a video camera in your living room, do you?"

I heard Megan laugh. "If I did, I wouldn't tell you." Then I heard a door close.

Shortly afterward, Bella knocked on the door, and I quickly pulled her inside. She was blushing and biting her lip. "I think Megan may have video coverage," she said seriously and then started laughing while removing her dress.

"Why would you think that?" I asked, following Bella's example and starting to remove m own clothing.

"Umm, I can't tell you that, because it would be unethical of me to divulge patient information." Bella continued to laugh while pulling off her boots.

I glared at her, causing her to smirk. She looked down at my crotch and noticed my semi arousal, which instantly perked up.

"Hmm," she hummed before palming me, "looks like you were listening in on my conversation with Megan."

I groaned, dropping my head onto her shoulder. "Yes," I gasped. She increased the pressure she'd been exerting on my cock, causing me to buck my hips.

"Now, what could she have said that turned you on? Was it the fact that she said she wanted to 'bend me over the table?' Or was the fact that I said, 'I tried that?'"

I groaned again and bit my lip as she continued to stroke me, now with two hands. "Fuck, both."

"Hmm, nice to know, but it's not going to happen again. It's not my thing."

She pulled away, walking further into our living room. I grabbed her arm, swirled her around, and I took her face in my hands. I pressed my lips against hers, eager for another round. God, I missed her.

I pulled away, breathless, and laid my forehead against hers. "What do you mean 'tried' that?"

Bella laughed and took a hold of my ass. "Are you sure you want to know this?"

I nodded, wrapping one arm around her waist while another slid down her back to the curve of her ass.

"It wasn't anything farther than second base. I went out drinking and dancing with a friend of mine while she was down to visit me in California. At one point, some asshole had come up to us and suggested that my girlfriend and I should join him up in his room. We decided to fuck with him."

My eyes widened, but she immediately continued, "Not with him literally, Edward. What I meant was, we messed with his head. I said it was a great idea and kissed her. She kissed me back and added a few over-my-clothing gropes. She had the most amazing soft lips, though," Bella added thoughtfully. "Well, until you."

My mind tried to picture my sexy girlfriend fondling and kissing another woman, but I couldn't mesh the images together.

_Damn, I wish I could read her mind._

"Earth to Edward," Bella cooed, as she grabbed my erection again.

"Damn, just the idea," I groaned in delight.

"Hmm, you liked that I kissed a girl," she stated simply, continuing her ministrations on my cock.

"God, yes," I gasped. Her grip tightened around me.

"Would it help imagining it if you've already fucked her, too?"

Bella released me and then walked down the hall to the bedroom, slamming the door closed.

_What the fuck just happened?_

Just as I was about to follow her into the bedroom, she came back out in a pair of red ruffled panties that did nothing to quell my lust, and a tiny black tank top.

She glared at me from across the room. "I got a call from my friend – you remember, the one I said is a real estate agent. She called while I was in Megan's apartment."

"Okay, is there a problem?" I had no idea where this was going, but she was obviously upset about it. I quickly grabbed my boxers, averting my eyes from her penetrating glare.

"Her name is Heidi Volturi."

_Oh fuck_.

"I'd wondered why you never mentioned an agent, and why you stopped Carlisle from suggesting the one he worked with. I had no idea that Heidi was someone from your list of former fucks."

I sighed and made my way to her, but she quickly crossed her arms and plopped down in a chair.

"Baby, I didn't want to upset you. I didn't suggest Heidi because we had left things on bad terms."

Bella snickered.

"What did she say when she called?" I asked as I knelt down in front of her. I gingerly placed my hands on her knees and started rubbing circles on her thighs.

"She said she didn't feel comfortable showing us around. She was my friend, Edward. She was Brianna's neighbor and…" Bella murmured and then sniffled. "We became close after her death."

"Baby, I'm sorry that this happened. I should've told you about Heidi."

Bella nodded. "If you had, I would've been prepared for it. I could've gotten her to talk to me. Her and Aro…oh my God, she was married when you…"Bella trailed off in revulsion.

"I –"

"God, Edward, how the hell am I supposed to marry you if you've fucked married women before?"

"Bella, I would never cheat on you."

"So what, it's okay for the woman to cheat?"

My eyes widened and then narrowed, glaring at her. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It's exactly what it sounded like, Edward. You've fucked married women, so it's safe to say that you never found anything wrong with it before. Why should it bother you now?"

I stood up abruptly, running my hands through my hair in frustration and anger. "First of all, I'm a different person from who I was back then. Second, you'd be married to _me_."

"I need you to be honest with me, Edward. Give me a number, how many were married?"

I paled, not necessarily because of the answer, but because I had no idea.

My silence gave Bella an answer.

"Edward, is there any chance there might be little Edwards out there?"

I shook my head. "No! God, no. You are the one and only woman I've had unprotected sex with."

"Did you ever have a spark of regret, Edward?"

I sighed and pulled her up from the chair. I sat down, pulling her onto my lap, and I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her temple.

"Yes and no. Bella, plenty of those women knew exactly what they wanted and once they'd gotten it, they left. I never really regretted it because I didn't allow myself to become attached to any of them. It was just pleasure, so in that context, no, I don't regret it. I got what I wanted, they got what they wanted, and everyone was happy. The only really regretful part of my promiscuity is that I hurt my family, you, and in doing so, I've hurt myself. For those that were married, it wasn't my place to make those women respect their wedding vows, but I can and will respect the ones I make to you."

Bella breathed against the crook of my neck. "I promised that I would try to get over your past, but fuck, it keeps biting me in the ass, too."

"Yes it does, and for that I'm sorry."

"I should call Heidi. I'm supposed to be baby Marcus's godmother."

"Marcus?"

"Yup," Bella said softly, popping her 'p' against my ear.

"Are we going to be okay?"

Bella shrugged and then whispered, "We have to be."

I nodded in agreement and initiated a kiss. It started tender and soft, before it became more passionate.

She shifted on my lap and straddled me. I grunted when she started to grind against me. I took grab hold of her hips and helped her press harder against me.

"Fuck, baby, I need you again."

"Edward, yes. Please."

Bella pulled on my boxers while I lifted my hips to help her remove them. My lips descended on her neck, nipping at the soft flesh over her collarbone. I pulled on the hem of her top and threw it over my shoulder.

Our home phone started to ring shrilly. "Let the answering machine get it," Bella gasped, as she tried to shift into position.

I nodded and pulled her closer, wrapping my lips around one of her pert nipples.

The answering machine picked up the call. "Swan! God damn it, Bella. We have a shitload of stuff to do, thanks to that dumbass of a man you have, and you're not answering your phones!"

"Ah, fuck. Sorry, I have to take this." Bella climbed off my lap and quickly ran to the cordless phone.

"Belllla!" I grunted, reaching out for her, but she slapped my hand away.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. She answered the phone and started to yell into the phone.

"Damn it, Rachel, it's been a long day. Can't we take care of this tomorrow?" Bella started to pace and walked into her office, leaving me horny and pissed.

I grumbled under my breath and threw on my boxers. I decided that Bella and I had to eat, and I took out items to make spaghetti. In my anger I slammed doors and drawers, like a child.

I heard Bella's office door close and her soft footfalls come down the hall. I ignored her while lighting the stove to put the pasta to boil.

"Sorry."

I continued to ignore her and took out the leftover marina sauce from yesterday's lasagna out of the fridge.

I heard Bella in the pantry and then moving about in the kitchen. From the corner of my eye I saw her preheat the oven, and she had begun to add some spread onto a loaf of French bread.

"Are you going to continue to pout and give me the silent treatment?"

I rolled my eyes and just grunted in response.

"Look, I'm sorry we had to stop while in the middle of that, but I know Rachel. She would've kept calling until I answered."

"You're leaving in two weeks, Bella. Plus, on Monday, you and I have to go back to work, where I'm sure we'll be swamped. The rest of this weekend is supposed to ours. I'm not asking you to give up who you are forever, I'm asking just for the weekend." I saw all the same hurt I felt reflected in her eyes.

Bella whispered, "Okay." She wrapped her arms around me, resting her cheek on my naked back.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Bella made a few calls before joining me for lunch in the dining room. I asked if there were any problems with the tour.

"We just have to work around a few dates and TV spots. I'll have to completely drop some appearances and reschedule a few radio shows. I have a photo shoot in Los Angeles in the middle of February."

I swallowed, taking a drink of cool water. "Are we going to see each other at all during the tour?"

Bella sighed and seemed to think for a moment before answering. "Rachel and Karen gave us Valentine's weekend in Los Angeles. Other than that, I don't know. They're still rearranging things."

"Did you manage to call Heidi?"

Bella smiled widely but nodded. "Yes, I did. She's not comfortable with meeting with the both of us, so she'll be sending her sister Giana." She cocked her eyebrow, silently asking if I had shared my bed with her, too.

I shook my head, causing Bella to laugh. We slipped into easy conversation of what the following week would be like for us both. I had a huge proposal I needed to work on, and Bella had to get things situated for the ground breaking of the two foundation shelters in March before she left. All in all, we had one hell of a week to look forward to, which meant late hours. She at least agreed that she wouldn't skip lunch with me, because in all likelihood, it would be the only time we had together during the day.

I had a nagging thought in my mind, and I knew I had to ask Bella about it. I'd learned my lesson: I needed to communicate with her if we wanted to work this out.

_Here goes nothing._

"Bella, I've been wondering. While you're on tour, how are you supposed to see the doctor for your pregnancy?" I asked, watching her suddenly drop the fork filled with spaghetti.

"Shit, my insurance is going to ask the same shit. I'm sorry, Edward, I have to call Rachel and Karen. I think I'm going to have to have a doctor go with me."

"Bella," I grunted, glaring at her. She'd fucking promised.

"Edward, this one last call, I promise. I just need to remind them that it's not just the tour dates that are important, but that they need to make arrangements for my health and our baby. These things take time, so the sooner the better."

I sighed and nodded. I watched her spring back into her office

I waited for several minutes and realized that she was already finished with her lunch. I grabbed her half-eaten plate and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. I walked into our living room and made my way toward the piano.

For almost thirty minutes I played for almost thirty while waiting for Bella, but my patience was wearing thin. Once again, her chosen occupation was coming in between us, and then it hit me.

It was going to get worse. I quickly hopped off my piano bench and went to Bella's second laptop on the coffee table. I flipped it open and Googled her pen name, Isa Virgin.

I was hit with over a million hits, and many of them were porn sites. I bristled at the thought and quickly retyped her pen name following the word author. I was hit with about three hundred thousand possibilities.

I found her book site created by the publishing house and clicked on the link. On the screen was Bella in all her naked fucking glory.

What the fuck?

The pose was simple enough. Bella's back was toward the camera, her arms were crossed above her head and her hip was cocked to one side, while her legs were crossed at the ankles. Her head and face were obscured in the shadows, while her long hair trailed to her right.

Across the middle of her back were the words:

Coming Soon

How to Seduce Your

Brother's Best Friend

By Isa Virgin

I clenched my fists and seriously considered kidnapping Bella and taking her far, far away from here. I'd take her to a nice private island in the middle of nowhere so that I could have her all to myself.

No wonder her book sold millions of fucking copies. She's selling her body. I turned off her computer and quickly made my way toward the shelves of books we had in the corner of our living room.

I found three of Isa's books and brought them to the living room. They were all hardbacks and all had Bella in various poses. I knew it was her and not some model. I would recognize her body anywhere, even photographed in shadows.

The first book had Bella lying on a large chaise, her back once again facing the camera. Half of her hair was over her shoulder, while the rest flowed down her back. She had a thin sheet wrapped around her ankles and knees before it wrapped around her chest. Her face was hidden and turned into the chaise among the shadows.

The second book was mostly black and white with touches of red. Bella's body was in the middle, much like on the website except that her hands were clutching a red apple at the small of her back. Her hair was tied up with a red stick, and along her spine were painted black letters; Forbidden.

On third and final book, the dust cover was light blue, and it looked to be an overhead view of a bed. Bella's body was laid out in the middle, on her stomach. Her ankles were bound, as well as her hands. Her body looked lean and firm, and I noticed that most of her face was obscured this time by a blindfold. What pissed me off was the fact there was a man's hand lying on her ass.

"Those were all taken before I met you, Edward," Bella whispered. I looked up and watched her as she pushed the book away from my hands. It landed on the floor with a thud before she took my hands in hers. "Mind you, I am shooting a few new poses for the site."

"Bella, is it really necessary to have you naked on each cover?"

"I'm not sure, but the poll the publishing house did indicated that the cover and my pen name caused people to pick up my books."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my nose in her stomach. "Great. I have to share your bare ass with everyone in the world."

"Don't worry, Edward," Bella said in a reassuring tone, her fingers playing with my hair. "I only have two more books tied up in contracts, and that will be the end of Isa Virgin. Well, at least on print."

I looked up at her, confused. "What does that mean?"

Bella's eyes widened, as though she's said too much. "Um, shit. I wanted to bring this up later when you were a calmer."

"Just spit it out, Bella," I urged as I wrapped my arms around her body.

"I have to do a pilot in Los Angeles for a cable show."

My breathing hitched, and I felt Bella stiffen under my grip. "Cable show?"

"Yes, um, Sex Talk with Isa Virgin. This has been in the works for quite some time. It's not a for sure thing, just a possibility."

"You'd have to move if they picked up the show," I said lowly. I took a few deep breaths as I tried to reign in my anger.

"That's being negotiated as of late, but I insisted on filming here in Seattle," she whispered trying to reassure me still. "I don't want to move."

I sighed and averted my gaze. I knew I was frightening her with my silence, but I needed to compose myself before I said anything. I didn't want to say something that would hurt her or say something out of anger that I'd regret later.

After a few tense minutes, I stood up and wrapped my arms around Bella's shoulders. "I'm sure we can find a way to make this all work. But –" I paused trying to put my thoughts in order, "– I really think you need to step back and look at the whole situation, Bella. Can you really handle book tours, writing, working at my company, the foundation, a cable TV show and a child all at the same time?"

Bella pulled away, and I noticed her shoulders slump in what I could only perceive as defeat. I heard her let out a choked sob, and she started to nod.

"You're right," she whispered. "There's no way I can do all those things while trying to maintain a family and an already struggling relationship. Ugh, I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions right now," she said frantically. "But I know for a fact that if I try to back out of all my contracts, I'll be stuck in court, and that would add considerable amounts of stress."

I rubbed my hands along her bare arms, and I kissed the juncture between her shoulder and neck. "Shh, we'll think of something, together."

She nodded again, allowing her body to mould against mine. Then the fucking phone started ringing, but the tone was different than before. The tone alerted us that the call was looking for Bella, it was her patient.

I sighed as she smiled at me timidly before rushing to grab the phone. Since she'd started taking phone patient calls again while recuperating from her stint at the hospital, they were a constant in our daily lives.

I'd had no idea before that Bella took calls night or day. They had been frequently increasing as her patients grew more comfortable with her. She also had several call-only patients from California that valued her too much to let her go.

It was a little ridiculous that someone would call her for the most insane reasons. This call sounded like one of them.

"Bill, Rachel has already told you that she didn't marry you for your penis," Bella said smoothly. She winked at me and crooked her finger at me. With a bit of wariness, I complied, closing the distance between us.

"Okay, Bill, she didn't marry you _only_ for your penis." Bella rolled her eyes and tip-toed to kiss my lips softly. I could easily hear a couple yelling through the phone.

"Bill, now, I know you're worried that she just married you for sex and your sperm, but has she really given you a reason to believe so?" Bella smiled up at me and I looked at her curiously. She grinned up wickedly and grabbed me.

Fuck me.

Bella's hot little hand sought out my stiffening cock and I groaned at the pleasant sensation. I bucked my hips against her and started walking slowly toward the bedroom.

She shook her head and gripped me harder, intensifying my need to take her – now.

"Bill, I know you think that scheduling when to become intimate with your wife will prove something, but I'm telling you in my professional opinion that it won't work."

I pinned Bella against the hallway wall, and her hand started to work me vigorously. I groaned, but managed to muffle it in the crook of her neck. I bucked my hips in tandem with her ministrations, sucking her neck, causing her to squirm against me.

"Fine, Bill, you win. Why don't you try your method for two weeks and see how it goes. I'd appreciate if you would send me an email explaining how it's going every few days. Now, put Rachel on the phone." Bella rested the phone between her shoulder and head, and her freed hand went to cup my balls.

Fuck.

"Rachel, I know. I'm sorry, but he's not going to see reason on this for now. I know you're young and horny, Rachel. You have to see it from his side; he's just worried that you'll get bored of him too soon," Bella said and then paused for a few moments to listen. "I'm sure I'll be hearing from you both really soon. Yes, send me your journal entries from last week. Talk to you soon, bye."

Bella quickly grabbed the phone and tossed it onto a chair. "Hmm, looks like someone wants to play."

I nodded unable to say anything remotely coherent. "Now, where to put you," Bella said thoughtfully. She looked around our living room, all the while her attention on my cock never wavering– what dedication.

I chuckled to myself, because fuck, she never lost focus.

Bella's eyes finally settled on something, and she released me. Well, fuck. So much for focus. She grinned at the exasperated gasp-groan I let out, and I pulled her close to me. She wiggled from my grasp and made her way to my – piano.

Oh God, yes.

I stalked toward her, my eyes roaming over her scantily clad body, form-fitted tank top over deviously innocent-looking ruffled red panties. She looked at me over her shoulder and noticed my eyes glued to her ass, which she wiggled enticingly. I groaned and rushed over to her.

I pinned her against the side of my piano and groaned when her ass met my erection. The silky ruffles only heightened the pleasure of the friction. I thrust my hips against her backside a few more times, earning soft mewls from Bella. I grinned against her neck while removing my boxers.

Then she bumped me and pushed me back, causing me to fall on my ass. I looked up at her incredulously and wondered why the fuck she'd done that.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Bella said with embarrassment, rubbing her stomach. "Instinct, I guess. The edge of the piano started hurting me." I paled, but she shook her head. "I'm fine, Edward." She straddled me and ground against my cock. "See, it's just a minor mark." She lifted her top and revealed her abdomen. She had a light pink mark, the kind you got when you wear something too tight. I soothed the area with my hands, worried that I may have hurt her.

Bella sighed and took my face in her hands. "We're fine, Edward," she said trying to reassure me. "I should've used my hands to hold me up, instead of attempting to lay my upper body on the piano," she said trying to reassure me.

I shook my head, trying to calm my desire to run. I hated the idea of causing her any pain. Add the thought of hurting my child, and it sickened me.

"Edward, please," she whispered against my lips. "Baby, I need you," she whispered against my lips. I groaned as her hips continued to grind against mine. Her hands started to explore, and her short nails raked over the sensitive flesh of my nipples. I thrust my hips upward, seeking what I wanted most.

Bella mewled when my naked cock made contact with her covered sex. Her soft lips laid open-mouthed kisses along my jaw. My lips sought hers meeting halfway before she pulled away again.

Her tortuous method of seduction continued southward, toward my aching cock. I moaned when her tongue darted out to trace the V of my hips. I propped myself up on my elbows to watch my temptress take me in her mouth. Her pink lips surrounded me for just a moment before she winked at me, inserting her tongue in the slit of my penis. I groaned, involuntarily thrusting upward. She moaned around my cock, causing wonderful sensations to reverberate throughout my body.

Bella grabbed my hand, which in effect caused me to sit up more, and placed it on her head. Oh God, she wanted me to guide her. I thrust up into her hot mouth again, this time deeper, while pushing slightly on her head.

This was her way of giving me control, something I hadn't really had in our relationship. I asked for it, did stupid things to achieve it, and when I did have it fucked it up in some way. Now, she was telling me that she trusted me to try again. She trusted me to control her, control her where she in reality had more experience.

I had quantity over her, but I had no doubt that she had quality over me. No man left her bedroom unsatisfied, and they _all_ came back asking for more.

But she was mine – only mine.

My thoughts become clouded for a few moments from the lusty haze, but my lust quickly amplified when Bella used her teeth to regain my attention. Not wanting to lose her tentative trust in me, I smirked and wrapped her hair around my hand. I continued working my cock into her mouth over and over again, while she licked, sucked, and tongued me toward the precipice of my oncoming climax. I stilled my movements, tugging on her hair. Realizing what I wanted, she kissed the tip of my cock before straddling my hips. I smiled against her lips, still in a sitting position, and languidly moved my lips against her, seeking her tongue.

I felt Bella shift slightly, removing her panties before my cock was engulfed by her pussy. We both groaned against each other's lips from the pleasure. "Baby, ride me," I whispered in her ear, before licking the shell of her ear. "Take what you need from me."

She could ask me for anything, and I'd do all that I could to make she got it.

Bella threw her head back and moaned, shifting her hips to change the angle. She quickly removed her top and tore it in half, tying the pieces together. She smirked at me before looping the fabric over my shoulder and maneuvering the makeshift tie underneath my arms. She leaned in closer and bit my ear, causing me to grip her hips roughly, seeking more friction.

"Giddy up, cowboy," she purred.

Fuuuuck.

One of her hands pushed me further back while the other gripped both ends of the tie. Her legs that were curled around my calves moved forward so that she literally looked like she was riding me. "Now, champ, show me how much a bucking bronco you really are," she said teasingly.

I growled and bucked my hips upward just as she rolled forward. "Oh, fuck," I cried out in unison with Bella.

Her smirk was still taunting me when I looked at her. She pulled slightly back, using the tie to hold her up, once again changing the angle. I thrust up and continued doing so, and by the sounds coming from Bella, I knew that I was hitting her g-spot with every thrust. My eyes roamed over her enchanting body; her hair shifted with every thrust, her face was lost in ecstasy, her breasts were bouncing, her nipples erect. My eyes followed the smooth expanse of her torso to her pussy where I could see my cock slip in and out of her. The scene was so erotic that when her muscles started to tighten around me, I couldn't help my oncoming release.

Oh God, Bella!" I gripped her hips and fell onto my back; my fingers dug into her pale skin as I released inside her. She moaned, trembling above me before she collapsed on my chest, her hair in disarray and a thin coat of sweat glistening on her skin.

The phone rang, causing her to sit back up. She grinned and hoped off me, running toward the phone. She left me lying on the floor panting, well fucked, but feeling so used.

She's gotten what she's wanted and had left me. Damn, it sure hadn't felt this way when all the other women had left after sex.

I looked over at her, her pert, naked ass on display as she hopped around, trying to put on a pair of panties, the phone stuck to her ear. I regained my composure and glared at her, earning nothing but a wink. I stalked toward her, and her eyes widened with fear and lust. I smirked and tossed her on the chair behind her, falling to my knees. It was her turn.

Later, after a nice shower and nap, the phone rang again, but Bella insisted on letting the machine get it so that we could finish dinner. She fed me some green chilé enchiladas from my lap, while the answering machine picked up her phone call. We both quieted down enough to make sure that it wasn't some kind of emergency.

"Dr. Swan, this is Ben Cheney. I'd like to confirm your appearance tonight at the pleasure party. I'd also like to inform you that the class will be at its capacity, with eight couples. The couple that you'll be using for demonstrating purposes will be Felix and Deidra. Please call and confirm. Thank you."

Bella dropped the fork, and she bit her lip. "Oh shit."

"Bella, what 'pleasure party' is this Ben guy talking about?"

She blew out a breath, and she smiled sheepishly. She got up from my lap and hurriedly walked into the bedroom. I followed her and crossed my arms, waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Bella said in annoyance, walking inside her closet, and pulling out some items. "I forgot about the party, which is stupid. I'm asked to teach and observe at these parties. The parties mostly consist of swinging couples, voyeurs and some that just want to learn new things."

"What do you mean 'observe?'" I asked, watching her put on a set of sexy lingerie.

"I mean, I'm asked to observe at pleasure parties to give my professional opinion." She shrugged indifferently.

What the fuck? I'd never known this shit. I had no idea what to say. I was dumbstruck but turned on at the same time.

_She watches others have sex, and she gets paid for it. Fuck me._

"Would you like to join me tonight?"

_Fuuuuck._

* * *

**AN: Did you see the reference to the movie Twister?**


	32. A Night in the Life of Isa Virgin

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka**** The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-One****– A Night in the Life of Isa Virgin**

* * *

**Betaed by lisa89**

* * *

I nodded numbly, and I was sure that my jaw was on the floor while my dick hardened instantly.

"Are you sure?" she asked, slightly amused.

"I want to know everything there is know about you," I said. I took her in my arms and kissed her lips. "Though, I have to ask how many of these parties you've attended."

Bella shrugged, pulling away. "Well, in California I went to a few dozen, mostly all in the teacher capacity."

"Mostly?"

"I told you before that one of my former subjects liked to do scenes. Well, I attended one as his submissive."

I scowled angrily. This was not where I wanted these questions to lead.

"You asked."

"I did. Have you attended any here? Since you've moved here?"

Bella nodded. I was positive that when she'd started to work for me, she'd only been in town for a few weeks. When had she gone?

"In October, Edward," she said, answering my unspoken question.

"While we were –"

"Yes, after the Tanya thing."

I nodded, but curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to know what she'd taught there.

"What did you do there?"

"I taught a class on oral skills for all sexual orientations," she started, walking back into the closet. "I had three couples as demonstrators."

"Are you telling me you use people to show your class how to perform various things involving sex?"

"Yup. Also, I have to sometimes touch to get my, um, models in position."

My eyes widened as I growled under my breath. She was going to touch them.

"As the teacher, for effect, I'm very dominant in my position."

Oh, fuck. I loved domineering Bella.

"So, are you still willing to come? Remember, you can't do anything there. The caveman tendencies you tend to have – they stay here."

I sighed and nodded. "I think I'll be fine. Would I be able to walk out of the room if not?"

She smirked and rubbed my erection firmly. I groaned, whimpering slightly when she bit my chin and then kissed me softly.

"Once you're in there, you won't be going anywhere."

"Confident much," I teased, slapping her ass gently.

"No. Not confidence. I just know you. You're curious when it comes to sex."

"Only when it happens to include you," I said. "Then yes, I'm curious," I said. "I'm trying to picture you all dressed up all sexily while slapping a ruler in your hand, commanding the class to pay attention."

"Now you get to see it," she said brightly. "Oh, I know what we can do there for fun."

I chuckled. "I'm sure you do."

She slapped my arm. "No, I meant that they have rooms set up for role-playing."

I groaned and kissed her pliant lips hard. "Do I get to see my naughty librarian fantasy come true?" I asked, internally chanting, "Please, please."

"They have a room that looks like a study with a ladder and walls of bookshelves."

"I'm so going to enjoy this, aren't I?"

"I'm sure you will," she whispered against my lips. "Now, we have to get dressed before we're late."

Bella pulled away completely, heading to her half of the closet. With my clothes taking half of the space, she'd had to move a considerable amount of items to the closet in the hallway and office. We really needed to start looking for our home.

"Okay, first of all, when we arrive they'll place a cuff with a colored gem on your wrist," she said, fighting to fit into a tiny silver and black dress. "The color of the jewel determines what you're there for. Teachers or Masters, like me, get a black leather cuff with a blue stone. That means we're approachable, but only when signaled."

Bella paused, throwing the offending dress in the corner. She found something else in black and chose some other lingerie. "Your stone will be white. That means you're a watcher and not approachable. White stones are used for all newbies – as a precaution."

I nodded in understanding. She continued while enticing me further, putting on a charcoal grey garter belt and stockings.

"Green stones mean anything goes, red stones are watchers, but they are approachable. Then there's a yellow stone, which means approach with caution. Those are the next level above white stones."

"Angela and Ben run a real tight ship, and everyone is watched in some way. If someone violates the rules, they're given a warning. Twice in one night, and they're removed from the party. The third offense earns the violator a lifetime ban."

"What's a watcher?" I asked, still entranced by her barely clad body.

Bella smiled and shook her head, handing me a pair of dark slacks and a grey button down. I placed my clothing on the bed absentmindedly, still distracted by her.

"Watchers are allowed to watch other participants, but newbies are only allowed to watch from a viewing room," she stated, shoving me onto the bed. "Since you're with me, you'll be able to attend while I'm teaching."

She straddled my lap and kissed my lips. "Bella, aren't we going to be late?" I asked, but it trailed off to a moan when her teeth met my skin.

"Do you think it would be a good idea to head to one of these parties horny?" she teased, nipping and licking my neck.

"Good point."

After a quick buildup, Bella and I were on our way after confirming with Ben. I drove down Main Street and headed toward the freeway on our way out of town.

Bella was quiet for the first few minutes of the drive, looking out the window. I couldn't get over how fucking sexy she looked. She was wearing a leather strapless dress that clung to her shapely figure, and the hem sat an inch above her knee. On her tiny feet were a pair of strappy heals, her toes painted in a nice dark blue.

"Edward," she said softly, turning to look at me.

"Yes."

"You know that this afternoon wasn't…um…you know…just sex, right?" she said. "All the teasing and playing with you –"

I cut her off before she could continue. "Well, at first I was kind of your bitch," I teased, chuckling. "But I got what you meant."

She smiled and looked expectant. She wanted to hear what I had thought about it. She wanted to know if I knew _her._

"When you received the call from your patient, and you started to touch me," I started, shivering slightly from the delicious memory, "you were trying to show me that we'd find a way to work things out, no matter what's going on with our lives. In other words, you'd make time for me."

She smiled and nodded and bit into her lip nervously.

"Then the whole controlling your pace while you sucked me off," I said, but I had to clear my throat. Fuck, I was hard again. She fucking giggled – tease. I suspected she'd known I would get riled up. "After almost hurting you at the piano, and all the things going on with our pasts, you wanted to show that you still trusted me. You may not like the situations that arise, but you trust me."

She nodded, pressing her palm against my cheek. I turned toward her hand and kissed it gently.

"The whole taunting thing was to get me out of my self-loathing thing I tend to do whenever I hurt you." Bella's warm hand left my cheek, and she smiled. She remained quiet for several minutes, only pointing out directions here and there. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"You know me," she whispered. I could almost hear the astonishment in her voice. "You get me."

"I do."

"I love you, Edward. Always."

"Love you, too."

We made it to a sizable mansion just outside of Redmond about an hour later. The home had an eerie presence with its dimly lit windows and extensive collection of statues that adorned the vast front garden and driveway.

I parked the car, handing my keys to an attendant, and helped Bella out of the car. She gave me a dazzling smile.

Then she cocked her eyebrow, giving me a warning. It was time for her to play her part. The change was almost instantaneous. She squared her shoulders, held up her chin a little higher, and the sway of her hips became even more hypnotic.

She looked over her shoulder at me and gave me a silent command with her eyes. _Come._

She'd warned me ahead of time that tonight, for me to gain access to be by her side at all times, I had to be her submissive. I internally shivered, because I wasn't going to make it past the first hour.

I remained beside her as she introduced me to the hosts of the party, Ben and Angela Cheney. Angela was quite tall and willowy, her dark hair pulled up from the sides while the rest trailed down her back, over her backside. Ben was intimidating, though short in stature, but his build was solid muscle. Angela hung on him, whispering something in his ear as she eyed me.

A short woman in her mid-twenties gave Bella a cuff, which she quickly placed on my wrist. I didn't look anyone in the eye, like she had asked me to do. With the click of the snaps from my cuff she sealed my welcome here.

Bella leaned toward Angela and Ben. "Back off, Angela, he's mine," she said firmly.

"I wouldn't dream of risking our relationship, Isa," Angela said with a purr. I was pretty damn sure she was looking at my ass as she said it.

"Liar," Ben said, causing Angela to giggle.

Bella rolled her eyes, taking my arm and leading me threw a sea of people. There was a lot of leather, lace and sheer fabric everywhere I looked. She cleared her throat, a reminder of my place. I shook my head and took a deep breath. I kept my eyes in front of me, and people parted for us to pass to a pair of double doors.

"Isa," a strong, masculine voice said behind us. I stiffened, because who knew what this asshole wanted with her.

"Felix," Bella said, turning to a tall man. He was well built and seemed confident in his stance as he eyed me with dark eyes. She smiled and held out her hand. Felix took it, kissing her knuckles, his eyes never wavering from hers. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place him.

He was strong in presence as he stood up fully and pulled a beautifully tanned, dark-haired woman to his side. After introducing her to me as his wife Deidra, I concluded that this was the couple that Bella was using as her demonstrators.

"Edward, this is Felix and Deidra," she said. "They're going to be helping me in class today." I nodded to show that I understood.

"So, this is the man you're leaving us for?" Felix asked, his eyes giving me a once over. I felt like I was display, and I wondered how Bella had endured this so many times before.

"This is my Edward," Bella said proudly. "Can you blame me for wanting to hang up my teaching ruler and flogger?"

Felix and his wife laughed wholeheartedly, instantly easing the tension in my body. They were friendly, and Bella's genuine laugh confirmed it.

"I'm not sure you could give hang up the ruler or flogger for long, Isa," Felix retorted, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Felix, get set up in room six, and shut up before I make sure you don't cum in class today," Bella chastised.

Deidra laughed and pulled her scared-looking husband away.

I leaned down to whisper in Bella's ear. "Are they always so happy?"

Bella laughed softly before nodding. "Yes, they don't swing like most couples here do. They just like to watch and be watched. It seems to strengthen their relationship instead of hurting it. Felix would never allow another man to touch her, but he doesn't mind letting them know exactly what he goes home to."

I laughed and directed her toward the bar. I needed a fucking drink. I grabbed a glass of rum and coke, drinking most of it in just a couple of gulps.

"Are you all right?"

I shook my head and took several deep breaths. "Why the fuck do you surround yourself with this shit?"

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed, pulling up a flight of stairs to a room. She opened the door, peeking inside to make sure no one was inside. After locking the door behind us she took my face in her hands.

"The way I see it, people here are more themselves than they are at any other time in their busy lives. We have CEOs that give up total control of their bodies to another, just because they want someone else to make the decisions for them. They let go here.

"There are people here with troubled marriages, and they hide behind their closed doors at home so as not to raise questions. They can't get out of the marriage sometimes because it's not in the best interest of either of them. Like politicians, movie stars, athletic stars, where a public divorce isn't something good for their public images. They come here to be themselves with others."

"I can understand why they're here, what I don't understand is why _you're_ here?"

"Honestly?"

I nodded.

"I learn a lot from watching. It's beneficial for my practice and from a research standpoint. Plus, the money is fucking fantastic."

"You get paid to watch people fuck?" I asked.

"I get paid to teach people to fuck better."

I snorted, causing her to giggle. I pulled her into my arms and nuzzled her neck. "I'm curious now. How much do you get paid?"

"Of course you're curious," she said softly, angling her neck to give me better access. I licked and nipped playfully, her soft moans and whimpers filling my ears. "One class is five thousand dollars."

"Jesus," I said. "For an hour-long class?"

"If the couple makes it that long," Bella said, followed by a snicker. "Oh, we'd better go. I should give you a warning about the class – watch where you sit."

I looked at her curiously. "The others in the room could quite literally whip it out or play with themselves, so long as it doesn't disrupt the lesson."

My jaw dropped. "Are you fucking telling me that the guy sitting beside me might wank while you're teaching?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"That's a bit disturbing."

"It can be," she stated. "Then again, you have no idea what they're wanking off to – the lesson, me, or the two naked people fucking on the bed."

I growled and kissed her pouty mouth. "That's not exactly making me feel better."

"You can whip it out and make all the pretty boys jealous of your goods and make all the women envy me."

"You wouldn't mind me stroking myself while others watched?"

"On second thought," she said, shaking her head. She rubbed over my crotch and kissed my lips softly. "Mine."

"Yours."

"Come," she whispered. She was pulling me toward the door when I finally looked at the room we were in.

It looked like a study or office filled with books.

"Oh, this is the room where you can take me against the bookshelves," Bella said excitedly. I groaned and looked to where she was pointing. "Or bent over that book cart over there."

I growled this time and quickly spun her, pressing my lips against hers. "God, I love you."

"I just want to make one of your fantasies come true, since I can't do the other one."

"Huh?" I asked, a bit confused.

"I'm pregnant, Edward, and it's just weird to me to have a three-way now."

The whole time she was saying this, her head was down and her voice low and somewhat distant. It was like she was afraid of what I might say.

"Fuck, baby," I groaned. "Have I ever led you to believe that I _need_ that?"

"You've mentioned it like four times already, Edward."

Shit, I'd never seen her insecure, and it was unnerving.

"Bella, look at me," I whispered, kissing her temple. She looked up and smiled a bit. "Every man has fantasized about that, and I won't lie to you. I always fantasize about something like that. But that's not to say that I need it or want it."

"But –"

"No, Bella. You're more than enough to keep me happy and interested."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Who else gets to fuck Isa Virgin, Bella Swan, vixen or tamed kitten?"

"Nobody, only you," she said sweetly.

"Exactly. And then there's the fact that you like to do things like role play, and stuff like that."

"Okay."

"Bella."

"Yeah?"

"I just realized that we've played out a lot of my fantasies, but none of yours. Don't you have any?"

Bella smiled, but shook her head as pink started to tinge her cheeks. "Oh, now I have to know."

"It's stupid."

"Please tell me."

She pouted and tried distracting me with kisses and by pressing against my still-hard cock. "No," I said, pulling her hand away. "I want to know."

Bella buried her face in my chest and mumbled her answer. I pulled her face away and asked her to repeat herself.

She averted her eyes. "I want to see you recreate the dancing scene in Risky Business."

"That's all."

"Tighty whities, tube socks, and dancing isn't bad enough?"

"That isn't so bad."

Bella grinned. "Does that mean you'll do it?"

I laughed at her. "Hmm, I'll guess you'll just have to wait to find out."

There was a knock on the door, pulling us away from the little bubble we usually found ourselves in when we were like this.

"Isa, everyone is ready," a male voice said behind the door.

"I'll be right there," she answered, once again slipping into a more dominant role.

"Yes, ma'am."

Bella sighed. "Ready, my pet?" she purred, oozing sexuality.

"For me to fuck you against the book cart _and_ the bookshelf? Then yes," I said huskily.

"Later," she said offhandedly. "I'm going to be late."

Bella led me through a series of hallways before we ended up in a warm, inviting room. In the middle of the room was a large wooden platform bed, where Felix and Deidra were lying naked. They looked like they were ready for anything Bella had in mind. There were several comfortable lounge chairs surrounding the bed, all filled with other people. All who were waiting for Bella to arrive.

Bella took my hand and led me to a chair a little farther back from than the rest of the watchers. But it still allowed me to see her and the couple perfectly.

"Good evening," she stated, her voice slightly throaty and deeper. Fucking sexy as hell, too.

Murmurs of well wishes were said before Bella cleared her throat, instantly quieting the group.

"Tonight's lesson will start with the basic missionary position. From there we will move up to ways to vary this position to reach maximum penetration. We'll demonstrate the various positions achieved with just a few quick repositions of limbs."

"Any questions so far?" she asked, looking at all the attentive participants.

When no one answered, Bella continued by introducing Felix and Deidra. "Are you two ready?" she asked as she laid eyes on Felix.

"Let me check," he said, which earned a few chuckles. He gently laid his fingers over his wife's most intimate area.

Holy shit, I couldn't believe my Bella was watching this and was so fucking calm.

Me, I was already sweating and aching for her.

"She's good to go, Doc."

Bella laughed and thanked him with a wink. "How about you, Felix?"

Felix snickered and pointed at his crotch – more laughs. "I think that's obvious."

Oh, he'd get along great with Emmett.

"Do either of you have any questions or concerns?" she asked, looking at the couple.

"Yup. For some reason, I can't make her cum in this position," Felix said with a shrug.

"We really like this position, because it's intimate, but we've always had to finish off in another position for me to climax," Deidra clarified.

Bella nodded. "Okay, why don't we return to that position once you're feeling that you're most there, and we'll see what the problem might be."

"No problem, Doc."

"Thanks," Deidra said.

"Okay, slide home, Felix," Bella said.

Then I realized where I recognized him from. Fuck, he was a professional baseball player.

In moments, Felix and Deidra were in the throes of passion, moaning and groaning in unison.

"Now, in this position, the pair can be closer, kiss and nibble on one's neck or lips," Bella said. "It's a position that can allow for a slow build up before working up to a more vigorous session. This position allows the other to feel their partner's body move against them, but it doesn't give much room for them to touch each other more freely."

"Felix," Bella said. "Sit back on your haunches."

He did as she said, groaning from the change in position. "While you're still inside her, grab her by her backside or hips and pull her bottom to sit on your thighs."

Once again the couple moved together to get into the position Bella described. So far, she hadn't had to touch either of them, and I was happy for that. Because if she did, I was sure I'd fucking lose it.

Not because of jealousy. No, it would be from just watching her. Fuck, she looked so good in that black leather dress, and the fact that I knew what she was wearing underneath it made it almost impossible for me to sit still.

I ignored the other watchers, since most of them were fawning all over their partners or were too engrossed with Bella and the demonstrating couple.

Deidra cried out, and from what I knew about Bella in this position, Felix had slid deeper inside her.

Bella gave them tips on how best to avoid back pain later by placing a folded pillow under Deidra's backside for comfort. She soon led them through various positions that mainly only needed a shift of Deidra's legs.

"Okay, I think we're almost there, yes?" Bella asked. Both Felix and his wife nodded.

One of the watchers cleared their throat to get Bella's attention. "Yes?"

"Can someone start with this position before moving on to a more advanced position like the arch?" Felix groaned and slowed his movements to ensure he could hold out a little longer.

"Yes, it can. Deidra would simply arch her back upward, putting most of her weight on her shoulders and neck. Felix would need to carry the rest of her body weight in his hands, and he would be on his knees to achieve an optimum angle. He'd also be the one moving the most."

"Doc, I'm dying here," Felix groaned deeply.

"Sorry, you two," Bella said over her shoulder. "We'll save questions until later."

The man that had asked nodded and looked expectant as Bella made her way back toward the couple. Fuck, at this point I was ready to combust. Most couples were in various stages of undress but mostly kept to themselves, mostly touching and kissing.

I, on the other hand, had nothing to soothe the ache in my pants. Thank God I hadn't worn jeans.

Bella had Felix and his wife move back to the missionary position. She had them go slow so that she could see what the problem was. She would lean in and whisper something, answered with simple one word answers.

"Hmm, I think I know what the problem could be," Bella said thoughtfully. "Deidra, wrap your legs around his waist." The woman complied, her mocha-tanned long legs wrapping around her husband's waist.

"Lock your ankles together," Bella continued. "Good. Now lift your ankles higher, but not your buttocks."

Deidra started to do as she was told while watching her husband lustfully. He kissed her lips softly, her gaze turning softer as she smiled. Once her ankles started to move higher over Felix's back her eyes widened, her back arched and she cried out.

"Oh God."

Bella smiled and gave me a wink. "Better?" she asked, returning her attention to them.

"Fuck yes," Deidra breathed. Felix groaned and nuzzled his face in his wife's neck. With a few more thrusts, her cries and breaths became more erratic, matching her husband's baritone grunts and groans.

Bella leaned toward them. "Come."

And just like that, the couple came completely undone.

Before Bella, I had never seen sex as anything but a form of release and pleasure. With her, I saw that that it could be a way to express of what we felt for one another.

Now I could see that it could be a real beautiful thing.

The couple both fell over the edge together.

My girl had just made two people cum with a fucking single command. God, I needed to get inside her – fast.

Bella crooked a finger in my direction. After a quick adjustment to my pants, I made my way to her as the others talked amongst themselves. She directed me to a room divider that was against the adjacent wall. I grabbed it and followed her instructions on placement to give Felix and his wife privacy.

Bella took my hand, squeezing it. I smiled at her, which she returned before tiptoeing to place a soft kiss on my lips.

I was buzzing with excitement and need. I couldn't wait to get her into that room and –

I was interrupted from my thoughts when the other watchers came around, asking Bella questions about tonight's lesson. I listened in and wondered about some of the answers myself.

Like what the fuck was the pile driver and why wasn't it something we'd tried?

After about ten minutes, Felix and Deidra came out fully dressed and looking thoroughly pleased. Deidra kissed Bella's cheek and whispered in her ear. Luckily, I was close enough to hear.

"You're glowing."

Bella smiled knowingly. "I am. I have every reason to be."

"When are you due?" Deidra asked.

"Mid July."

"Congratulations to the both of you," she said, taking my hand in both of hers. "She's a handful, but she's worth it."

"She is," I said.

Felix clasped my shoulder, pulling me away from Bella. Once we were out of hearing range, he spoke up. "Way to knock her up. I thought no one would ever get her to settle down."

I looked at him, a bit confused. "Julian and David's cousin."

"Ah," I said nodding. "So you know –"

"Yeah, I do. I wanted to kill David for asking someone as sweet as that little girl there to try to fix my fucked up cousin."

"Little girl?"

"To me and David, she's like a little sister. So what I'm trying to say is –"

"Don't fuck this up, or you'll kick my ass?" I said with a gentle laugh.

"Good, we're on the same page. I'd hate to fuck up that pretty face of yours."

"Um, thanks?" I offered, causing him to laugh.

"Don't worry, I don't swing that way."

~oOo~

I tapped my pencil against the table, reading a page from a book laid out in front of me.

"Mr. Cullen, I'm not asking you again. Be quiet."

I smiled, so fucking ready to move on to the next part of my plan. Bella had disappeared into a bathroom long enough to change into a sexy grey skirt, and a white silk blouse complete with glasses and a string of pearls.

I'd been trying for the past ten minutes to get her to come to me, but to no avail. I was going for the big guns now. I fanned myself with a notebook, folding up the sleeves of my button up. After a few minutes, I'd popped a button, revealing more of my chest. One by one I'd continued this, and I had hoped I'd get her to crack.

I stood up to look for a book on a high shelf against the far wall. "Ms. Swan, I need that book up there." I pointed to a book high on the shelf. The only way to get it was to climb up the ladder, and only the librarian was allowed to use it.

"Which one?" she asked, abandoning her book cart, looking up to where I was pointing. She cocked her eyebrow, telling me she knew what I was up to.

I leaned in and whispered in her ear. "That one. It has a black spine and green lettering."

Her breathing hitched, which was what I had hoped for. She moved the ladder just enough to reach up to the book. She climbed up each rung carefully and started to reach for it.

Her delicious ass was eye-fucking-level, and all I wanted to do was bite it. I composed myself, keeping my eyes on what she was doing. Her fingers wrapped around the book, but I cleared my throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ms. Swan, that's not the right book," I said sheepishly. "The one that's two books over."

"Mr. Cullen, you're trying my patience," she grumbled. "This one?" she asked, touching it with a fingertip.

I gave her an "uh hum" for confirmation. She had to lean over more, and she huffed in annoyance when she realized she couldn't reach it.

"Mr. Cullen, can you please hold on to the ladder," she said.

I grinned – perfect.

I stood just underneath her, taking a hold of the ladder as she reached for the book. I had the perfect view of her cute little ass. Once I knew she had it in her grip, my hand left the side of the ladder and crept up her leg. She stiffened but quickly composed herself and asked me to move.

I huffed in annoyance, because I was ready to fuck against the ladder at this rate. She'd had such will power to all my advances so far. She handed me the book, a bit of a smug smile upon her lips.

Her hips swayed seductively with every step she took back toward her abandoned cart. I growled under my breath and went back to the table. I had to come up with something to make her crack.

After a few minutes I decided it was best for me just to walk up to her and take her. She'd fold under my gaze and kiss me, and she'd never be able to hold back once I had her in my clutches. I internally cackled and rubbed my hands together.

"Mr. Cullen," I heard Bella call out softly.

I got up from my chair and walked around the table toward a set of bookcases across from me. I turned into the aisle and saw Bella about to climb up the ladder again.

"Can you give me a hand?" she asked. I nodded, wondering where she was going with this. "Hold on to the ladder, please."

I moved just under it, my hands on either side of the ladder. She climbed a few rungs and deposited a book on the shelf. She climbed another three rungs, and I fucking lost it.

I groaned because just above, under her pretty skirt, was her completely bare ass. She had removed her panties.

"Mr. Cullen, must I remind you? Be quiet," she said sternly as she stepped a few rungs down the ladder. I refused to be deterred and remained in position, causing her body to be caged between the ladder and me.

That didn't stop her from taking the remaining steps down. Her ass wiggled against my cock, pulling another guttural groan from my lips.

"Tsk, tsk, Mr. Cullen," she purred in a sultry voice. "It seems someone is determined to break all the rules." She turned to face me, her lovely hands touching softly over my crotch and chest. She raised an eyebrow, asking me silently to make a move.

I ground my hips against her and leaned in to whisper. "I love breaking the rules." I slipped my knee in between her thighs, pressing it against her core gently. I nipped at her neck and collarbone and pressed a little harder. I had yet to lay a hand on her, but she was already whimpering.

God, I loved that sound.

I hoped to entice more sounds as I pressed my erection against her soft stomach. She moaned again. I chuckled softly. "Sounds like I'm not the only one having trouble remaining quiet."

She huffed angrily and pushed me away. I stumbled back a few steps as she straightened her glasses and walked away.

I growled and pushed her against a bookshelf, always monitoring her reactions to make sure I wasn't hurting her.

"I don't think so, Ms. Swan," I said in mock anger. _Fuck, this acting thing is harder than it looks._ "We've been playing this little game for weeks." I took both of her hands in one of my own and held them against the shelf over her head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Cullen," she hissed as she writhed against my grip. _Damn, she's good._ I leaned closer, licking the shell of her ear. My free hand slid under her skirt, her inner thigh slick with her arousal.

I smirked and sucked on her earlobe. "You want me just as I much as I want you, Ms. Swan," I cooed.

She shook her head in complete contradiction to her actions. Her head lolled to one side, granting me access to the column of her neck, and her knees parted further – another invitation.

I chuckled again. "Hmm, this –" I swept a finger slowly over her slit " – and your body's response to my touch says otherwise."

She moaned as my fingers caressed her slick clit. "Yes," she gasped.

"Yes what?" I murmured, licking a warm, wet trail down her neck.

"I want – you," she moaned as my index finger teased her entrance. Another moan left her lips when my fingertip moved inside her.

"Tsk, tsk, Ms. Swan," I chastised. "If you can't remain quiet, I'll have to gag you." I released her hands, trailing a finger over her arms, eliciting gooseflesh to cover her skin.

She grabbed the back of my neck and licked her lips. "As long as it's with your cock, I'll make no complaints." She pulled me closer and pressed her lips against mine.

I groaned – fucking finally. Bella slipped her tongue into my mouth as one of her hands tugged on the button of my pants, the other yanking on my hair.

_I love when she does that._

With one skilled hand, I removed each of the buttons of her silk blouse. Soon, her blouse laid open, and my lips sought the newly exposed skin. I groaned as her hands gripped my cock tightly. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed her.

I bunched up her skirt around her hips, exposing her core to my hungry eyes and fingers. I grabbed a bare cheek and swept one of her long legs over my hip and slid inside her swiftly.

"How do you feel about the rules now, Ms. Swan?" I asked, still maintaining my role. I panted and grunted as I stroked in and out of her warmth.

"Fuck the rules," she moaned, as the pull on my hair tightened. Her nails dug into my bicep; the delicious pain made me hungry for more.

I growled and shifted her legs to wrap around my hips. Once I had her in place, I walked over to the sturdy table I'd sat at earlier. I swept my arm across the top, toppling several books onto the floor.

I laid her down, her hair strewn over the table while her delectable chest heaved with uneven breathes. I leaned over her, licking everything within reach. Our movements became more measured and purposeful to reach our mutual climax. I lifted her leg higher over my hip, and she moaned deeper and longer with each stroke.

Her small hand raked over my ribs and hip before coming between our bodies. "So good," I whispered, watching her fingers tease her clit.

"Please," she gasped.

I grunted and thrust my tongue in her awaiting mouth. I increased the pace and strength, slamming into her with a fevered need. She moaned and writhed, her fingers rubbing her clit harder and faster.

Then she came undone. Her back arched completely off the table, her knees dug against my torso and my name left her lips in an animalistic scream. I groaned, watching her body respond to me. My hips slammed into her over and over again until finally I buried myself deep inside and released a torrent of curses, her name and all my body had to offer.

I was spent and completely fucking blissful.

We caught our breaths, both lying on the table, wrapped around each other. Bella smiled devilishly. "I think we need to make sure we have a study in our new home."

The corners of my mouth slowly turned up into a smirk. "With lots and lots of books."

"Oh, and a sturdy desk –"

"Let's not forget the ladder," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

Laughter filled my ears, followed with a hearty whisper of her love.

~oOo~

It'd been three fucking days since I'd been inside her. Three days since I'd last held her for more than a few hours.

When we'd returned to work, it'd been hell. I'd had so many appointments that lunch was spent in one of our offices, eating quickly to get to the rest of the day. Once we'd returned home we were exhausted. She was leaving in ten days, and I felt that I'd had little interaction with her.

It wasn't her fault. She made sure to have lunch with me, but carpooling was no longer working. To make up some of the meetings I'd had to reschedule, they'd been running much longer than her regular work day.

Bella was very busy with all the final arrangements for the tour and the ceremony for the ground-breaking for her shelters. I hoped that tonight we could finally have some dinner and just be together.

A knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in."

Bella opened the door with a bright smile that I couldn't help returning her my own. Behind her came Esme and Alice both in power suits, something I hadn't seen in a while.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen," said Bella, her voice an octave lower.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm my now-raging hard on. I opened my eyes and gave her a little glare. She winked in return before walking around my desk and plopping down on my lap.

"We have something to discuss with you," she said. I cocked an eyebrow, wondering what Esme and Alice had to do with our discussion.

"Son, you're looking at the new Charitable Projects Manager," Esme said firmly. "Technically, it was the position I held before Bella took over." She shrugged her shoulders and took a chair in front of my desk.

I looked back at Bella, who looked a bit nervous. "You're not going to be working here?"

She shook her head. "I'll be the face for the foundation, but the everyday operations are now Alice's responsibility."

I looked over at Alice, who smiled brightly. "We gave her no choice, Edward."

"Oh, thank God," I said.

Bella laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck. "So, I'll be working from home once I come back from my tour," she said softly. "I'll work on my novel and books."

"You'd do that?" I asked. "Give all this up?" As much as it pleased me to know that her work load would lessen, I felt like I was asking too much from her.

She nodded. "I'd do anything for you and the baby."

I took her face in my hands. "I love you so much. Thank you." I pressed my lips softly against hers.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Alice said.

"I agree. He's just like your father. Always looking for some one-on-one time in the office."

"Ewww, Mom!"

"What?"

Bella giggled against my lips as my office door closed. "I need to get going."

I shook my head and tightened my hold on her.

"I'll be home by six. I have a meeting with a construction crew foreman at the site."

I nodded, but my hold on her remained. "God, I'm going to miss you."

Her hands ran through my hair slowly, humming her song. "I know. Me, too."

~oOo~

**Bella**

I knew going back to work after over a month at home with Edward would not be easy. But this was horrible. If it hadn't been for my assistant and Edward's wonderful family, there was no way I could've done this on my own.

I owed them so much. Alice finally decided to step away from Cullen & Cullen and into her own office, and she seemed to know just what to do. Esme was a godsend, helping me with all the meetings that I had missed. I couldn't even imagine how many contributions and donations could've been lost if it hadn't been for her.

Having spent the last two hours at the construction site, where the trailer-slash-office was being erected, I was desperate to get home.

I just wanted to get out of my shoes and, if I had anything to do with it, the rest of my clothes. I needed Edward.

I had heard all the stories about how a woman's libido increased for many during pregnancy. Let me say, I was desperate to get Edward inside me – now.

I waved at Derek and Rick, who were talking amongst themselves in the lobby. They smiled at me brightly with a little wave. From the corner of my eye, I could see Rick pick up the phone as soon as I entered the elevator.

_Aww, my man has something planned._

As long as it included both of us naked, I was game. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, shaking my hair out. I mused for a moment, holding my hand over my slightly expanded belly.

I couldn't wait until I felt our baby move. I was brought out of my thoughts when the elevator alerted that I was approaching my floor. I walked down my hall and felt the doorknob give away easily.

_Hmm, I wonder what he has planned?_

I closed our apartment door behind me and noticed that most of the lights were off except for the area near the piano.

"Edward," I called out, dropping my briefcase and keys on the side table by the door.

Then the stereo in the living room started, and the telltale song began to play. I smiled and waited with bated breath. Just down the hall, Edward slid on his socks, stopping just in front of me.

Edward in socks, white Fruit of the Looms, a pink button down, and a pair of sunglasses with a bright smile was so fucking hot. His cute ass was bite worthy, and his legs – so strong. He looked over his shoulder at me with a wide smile as he popped up his collar. He lowered his glasses, giving me a wink.

Oh, this is going to be a good night.

* * *

**AN: The "Risky Business" outtake can be found in Tantra Chair Adventures and on Twilighted in Smut Mondays.**


	33. Note 2

**AN: **

**I replacing the note that was originally here. It was basically a note that told everyone that I was sick, really sick and apologizing for my absence. It was old, and since I still get reviews asking about my health I wanted to remove it since I'm fine. But I found out if you remove the chapter like that, that it messes up your chapters, and people might not be able to review new chapters. **

**Also I'd like to say thanks to those, while I was ill, said all those wonderful things. Your prayers helped, I have no doubt about that. **

**Hope you're enjoying the story so far.**

**Thanks, **

**Ericastwilight- fanfiction**


	34. That Feeling

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**** – That Feeling**

* * *

**Betaed by lisa89**

* * *

Bella's breathing was coming out in short bursts, fanning across my naked chest. The closer we got to her departure, the more her dreams disturbed her. After my mother and Alice had taken over Bella's main duties, she'd had less work-related stress.

But the downfall was that she was no longer as busy as she'd used to be. This left her time with her thoughts and memories. Memories filled with abandonment, pain and blood. Yet, what she screamed at night was for me not to leave her.

My hand ran over her smooth back in an attempt to her soothe her whimpers and murmurs. Her leg that was draped over my hip had started to twitch, an indication that she had reached the climax of her dreams – running in search of me. I whispered her name and my love until her heart rate returned to normal.

A few nights prior, her dreams had caused her to tailspin into a panic attack, while I'd been playing my piano. I'd managed to calm her down, and she hadn't argued with me when I suggested an emergency session with her new therapist. I'd been asked to attend, since I was also battling Bella's nightmares.

Though her nightmares were mingled memories of her past – Brianna's and Daniel's deaths – I was always in the background. My presence was there to help her through the dream. But suddenly I would disappear from her dreams and that was when she'd fumble in the dark, searching for me.

That was when she'd wake up screaming.

Though she said she'd forgiven me and even understood why I'd had to leave, she still held on to fear. Bella had refused to take a mild sedative since she was pregnant. So, Bella and I had decided to start a nightly ritual in hopes of keeping her nightmares at bay. She'd hung a small dream catcher in our room that Billy had given her when she'd been a child. She'd drunk a glass of warm milk and listened to a mix of soothing music, and eventually we'd found a combination that seemed to quiet her dreams.

But she was leaving tomorrow, and I had no idea what her nights would be like.

She had me download Skype so that we'd be able to video chat as often as we could. For the first week of her tour she'd be on the east coast. With the time differences, I knew she'd be tired by the time I got home from work.

Bella had one full day off while in New York, a week into her tour, and she'd asked for me to join her. At first she'd mentioned the day off, giving me no real indication that she'd want me there. Finally, she'd relented and begged me to come, but she'd felt too selfish to ask at first.

Silly girl. I would have been there even if she'd hadn't asked. When I'd confirmed that I would love to go, she said that she'd planned a surprise for me. Being the perv that I was, I hoped it meant she'd be naked during most of my stay.

I had a busy schedule at work, and I was also going to be looking for our home. Rosalie had offered to help, since I didn't know my breakfast nook from my sunroom. Bella's list of requirements was room for a home gym, a library, her own office and, if possible, a way to expand. No small feat in this area.

Bella was beginning to stir, pulling me out of my thoughts. Her lips brushed over my heart, and she mumbled my name.

"Good morning, love," I whispered. I ran my finger through her silken strands and sighed.

"What is it?" she asked, looking up at me. She kissed my lips gently and waited for my response.

"You're leaving tomorrow."

Bella's eyes glistened, her emotions getting the best of her – something that had been happening more often lately. "I'll be fine," she said softly. She knew I was worried about her, and I had every reason to be. But that wasn't the only thing that worried me.

"Edward?"

I sighed deeply, running my hand down her naked back. "I haven't been without you in a long time, Bella," I said thoughtfully. "I have no idea how to sleep without you near me."

"You'll be fine," she said sweetly. "You slept just fine on the couch the other night." She grinned at me.

I scowled at her and the memory, swatting her ass. Last week her hormones had been so out of balance that she'd felt too hot. She'd slept naked, refused the covers, used a fan, and still she couldn't sleep. So, she'd promptly kicked me out of bed.

"Like I had a choice," I growled.

Bella sat back on her knees and threw her arms up in the air dramatically. "It's not my fault you're too hot."

I smirked, and then her bare breasts completely distracted me. I pinched a rosy bud between my fingers, rolling gently. "I am hot. Aren't I?"

Bella moaned and bit her lower lip as I continued my ministrations. It looked like we were going to have a really pleasant morning.

~oOo~

Bella was busy getting dressed warmly for our trip to the meadow. While she gathered her things, I grabbed her cell phone and found the numbers I needed. I committed them to memory before she came back out.

After she left I'd have enough time to set up my proposal, but I needed a little help. Alice had assured me that I didn't need a grand gesture to ask Bella to marry me and that something simple would be fine.

Where was the fun in that?

Thirty minutes later, we were on the way. Conversation was mostly about our family and work, but soon it turned to her brother.

"How was lunch with Jordan?" I asked, turning off the highway.

She sighed, but I could see a smile slowly appear. "He's doing well, and he came in using a cane," she said proudly. "He said he can manage using just the cane a few hours every day."

"I'm sorry I had to cancel on you two."

"It's fine, Edward. I told you that yesterday," she replied. "We understand."

"So," I said nervously. Jordan had asked us to lunch because he wanted to discuss something. Even though I'd cancelled on them, I hoped they'd talked. "Did he mention what he wanted to ask us about?"

"He asked when you're going to make an honest woman of me," she said seriously, and she broke out in laughter.

I growled playfully, bringing her hand to my lips, biting a finger. She yelped and pulled her hand away.

"He said that he wants to ask Julie to marry him," she said, sucking on her finger lightly. "I think he was looking for reassurance. He always thought he'd never get to this point."

"Well, that's great about Julie. He deserves to be happy."

"Yes, he does," Bella said, biting her lip.

"What's wrong, baby?" I took her hand in my own, soothing her until she visibly relaxed.

"It's just that both Jordan and I are hitting big milestones in our lives, and we're both happy."

"Is there something wrong with that?" I asked.

"No. I just wish our parents were here."

That I could understand. My parents would've loved Bella immediately. I brought her hand to my lips, kissing it softly.

"They're here, baby," I said. I carefully placed our intertwined hands on her heart. "They're a part of you."

Bella's eyes held unshed tears as she nodded. "So are your parents, Champ. I may have never gotten to know them, but I love them because they gave me you."

We slipped back into conversation, discussing ideas for Jordan's wedding. Bella had no doubt that Julie would say yes to Jordan's proposal.

This reminded me that I had to call upon her brother to ask for his blessing. I had hoped that the past month showed that I'd do anything for Bella.

"Oh. Can you please stop by your mother's childhood house?" Bella asked excitedly as I drove into Forks. I complied and soon pulled into the driveway. I parked, noticing several cars and trucks.

"What's going on?" I asked warily. I was fearful that someone had purchased the house. I had been so preoccupied with Bella and work that I'd failed to remember that I wanted to buy it.

"I bought it," Bella whispered, looking out the car window. She turned to face me and seemed nervous. "Please don't be mad at me."

I looked at her curiously. "Why would I be mad?"

"I made a big decision without you," she said softly. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

I smiled at her warmly, reassuring her that everything was fine.

"Yes," I said as I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Big decisions should be made together, but I can see how this would be a great surprise. This means more to me than you can imagine." I placed another kiss on her lips.

"That's me, full of surprises. Plus, I like keeping you on your toes."

I laughed and grinned broadly. "Of course you do. Or else you'd step on them."

She scowled at me before jumping out of the car angrily. I laughed again at her display of her kitten anger. In the past week Bella had become clumsier with each passing day. She had managed to stub her toe at least four times, hit her elbow twice and her knee at least once. She was a walking bruise.

I'd joked that maybe she should take up dancing again – now that I remembered, that was the night I'd spent on the couch.

I hopped out of the car and followed my brown-eyed beauty through my mother's childhood home.

The house was being fully restored to its Tudor craftsman style, along with some modernizing in the kitchen. Bella hoped that we'd be able to stay here when we needed a break from the fast-paced life of the city.

The hearth room was by far my favorite, with a large fireplace that took an entire wall. It had become my favorite because there was growth chart carved into the wood of the entryway. The chart showed both Esme's and my mother's heights since they'd been able to stand.

I touched each little notch and initial, wishing I could capture the memories hidden there.

Bella pointed to a group of notches level to my chest. There were three lines with initials beside each one. An "Es," an "El," and the last one was an "R."

"Your mother," I said, tracing the letter.

"That's what Esme thinks. She can't remember, though."

I smiled at my love, kissing her softly and thanking her for giving me something so lovely. "Come on," I said. "We should go to our meadow."

I had to admit, I was feeling overwhelmed. After my parents had died, I'd never looked back or even attempted to reach out to other living relatives besides my aunt.

Throughout the years I had lost great aunts, great uncles and my grandparents, but I hadn't cared. If it hadn't been for people like Renee, Esme and Bella, I wouldn't have this important piece of history that belonged to my mother.

"Are you all right?" Bella asked as we walked hand in hand to the car.

I shook my head, pulling Bella in my arms. I pressed her gently against my car, but held her close. I nuzzled her neck and kissed the soft skin there.

"I have no idea what happened to the house my parents and I shared in Chicago."

"Oh, that's easy," she said softly. I pulled away to look at her.

"Don't tell me you bought it, too?"

"No," she answered quickly. "I wanted to, but I found out Esme already owns it."

"She never said anything to me," I said firmly. "In fact, I remember her telling me that the house had been sold like I had asked."

Bella looked thoughtful before answering. "It was sold to her," she said, shrugging. "I think she knew you'd regret it one day if it hadn't remained in the family."

"Damn," I said. "I have one hell of a family."

"You do," she said. "We all love you very much. Let's go."

We walked carefully to our meadow, our arms filled with things. Bella held on tightly to me, carrying a picnic basket while I carried her art supplies.

I laid out a thick blanket over the waterproof tarp I'd brought. Bella was fiddling with her easel and setting up her supplies. She was happy that there was a light covering of snow around the meadow and trees. She joined me on the blanket after a while, lounging while enjoying some hot cocoa. I played with her hair while we shared some stories of our childhood days.

I watched Bella paint as I sat back on some pillows, reading one of her books. She looked around, taking in our surroundings while she painted. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were rosy from the cold, and she looked completely adorable in a beanie. Her hand swept across the canvas in both short and long strokes all while she bit her lip in concentration.

"Stop staring," she chastised.

"Can't help it. You're breathtaking." I watched as a few flakes of snow fell on her hair and long lashes. They melted, but Bella looked up to the sky and allowed more to touch her skin. I had to touch her. I had never seen her look as sweet as she did now.

I got to my feet and pulled her into my arms, scaring her a bit. She composed herself, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pulled her off her feet and twirled her around.

"I love you. I love you," I whispered in her ear. I threw my head back and cried it out, causing her to laugh.

"I love you, always," she said happily. She pressed her soft lips against mine, tugging on the hair at the nape of my neck.

"Always," I whispered between kisses. She moaned as one of my hands made its way to her behind. She giggled and nipped at my lips.

She cocked her head toward the blanket, wiggling her eyebrows. "Here?" I said.

"Yes," she purred. "I'd like to try something."

I laid her gently on the blanket as we both removed the buttons of our clothing. We both knew it was much too cold to go completely bare, but we offered each other access to be able to touch as much as we wanted.

Slowly, achingly slowly, she removed her gloves and scraped her fingernails down my chest and torso. I groaned as my body erupted in gooseflesh. My fingers gripped her hips, her delicate fingertips circling my nipple. She pulled away a bit and reached for something from the picnic basket.

"The snow is probably isn't safe to use here," she said, peppering my face with small kisses. "So, we'll have to make do with what we have." My eyes snapped open when she bent down and took my nipple in her ice cold mouth.

"Oh, fuck!"

Bella hummed and continued the delicious torture of hot and cold, until I was nothing but a writhing mess beneath her. She popped the top button of my jeans, and I groaned when I felt her warm finger on the head of my erection.

"Oh, please," I gasped as she moved away for some more ice.

She grinned wickedly at me, taking a sliver of ice in her mouth. She leaned down and drove her tongue into my mouth, the mixture of ice and the warmth of her tongue sending a delicious shiver through my body. She pulled the extra blanket over us as her clever hands removed my jeans and boxers from around my hips. Her sweet tongue left me panting, continuing from my lips along a familiar path. She continued taking slivers of ice here and there until she reached my erection. I hissed when I felt the iciness of her tongue against the slit of my cock.

I was at the breaking point as she wrapped her lips around me; the coldness of her mouth ignited me like a roaring fire. I bucked and writhed as she continued teasing me – iciness still on her tongue. All too soon I keened out her name as I shot cum in her mouth. Fuck, so good.

Bella crawled over my body after shifting my boxers and jeans back on. She looked very smug that she'd left me in the current state I was in. I growled and rolled her under me.

She giggled and snorted, snaking her still-cold hands over my bare chest and back. I nipped at her lips, and then I moved to grab a piece of ice. I wiggled my eyebrows and whispered, "My turn."

~oOo~

Before we left our meadow I decided to carve our initials, about eye-level, in a tree. I hoped that we'd be able to visit and see the growth of the tree – a symbol of our love. Her painting of the meadow in winter was beautiful, though her main focus was my parents' tree.

We left shortly after the weather and sky turned grey. Bella smiled groggily as I lifted her from our car. She had tried to stay awake during our ride home, but she was too tired. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I held her against my chest. "I'm sleepy," she whispered, nuzzling my neck.

"Sleep, my love," I said. I kissed the top of her head and carried her up to our bed. She curled up against my pillow, sighing. I watched her for a while and only left when I knew she was asleep.

I headed to our office and turned on my laptop. I started typing up a few letters after I'd made sure of the email address. I sent each one, hoping I'd get the response I was looking for. I tapped a few keys and started a search for Bella's ring. My initial intention had been to give her my mother's ring, but bad memories were now tied to that. I hated myself for marring something that symbolized my parents' love for one another.

But what's done is done, and it was time to move on.

I wanted something new, and something that was all her own. I knew I wanted a platinum setting, but I was torn between something more traditional or modern. Damn, I was really bad at this. I thought about it briefly as I clicked a few images – I'd rather shop for it in a more personal environment.

I sent Alice a message, and she texted me back shortly after. She sent me the name and addresses of three fine local jewelers and their website addresses. I searched through their online catalogs so that I'd be able to see the ones I liked at the store while Bella was gone.

I heard Bella's soft footfalls in the hall, causing me to quickly close up my laptop, and I went to meet her.

"Hey, baby," I said, wrapping my arms around her waist. She melted against my chest before turning to face me. "Are you feeling a little more rested, love?"

"Yes," she said before tiptoeing to press her lips against mine. "I feel bad that I spent hours sleeping today."

I shook my head and lifted her up to kiss her. "We have a lifetime to spend time together. Plus, you need to rest."

"I know," she said sweetly. "Rachel said she's sending a car for me in the morning."

"What time?"

"Nine."

"Hmm, that will call for an early breakfast in bed tomorrow," I said, playfully spinning her around.

"Mmm, sounds good," she said. "I'll take some orange juice, bacon and some scrambled eggs, please."

I chuckled, swatting her butt. "I'll see what I can do. I'm sure I could order something."

Bella laughed and squeezed me. "You're doing much better in the cooking department."

I kissed her sweet lips, finding them irresistible. "I have a great teacher," I said in her ear, and then her tummy rumbled. We both laughed. "Sounds like somebody's hungry. Let's put my newly acquired cooking skills to the test."

"I'm ready to lend a hand if you need one," she said, grabbing a handful of my ass. I rolled my eyes, swept Bella off her feet and carried her into our kitchen. I managed to make a great dinner, even though I almost burnt the garlic bread.

We decided to stay home on her last night, relaxing together. The previous evening we'd had dinner with our family. Emmett, even teased Bella about her book tour, asking if she blushed while doing a reading. He'd given her a t-shirt that said "Property of Edward Cullen" to wear while she was gone. I really loved that t-shirt.

While lounging, we talked about what she was expecting as far as fans and how they were handled at signings. I was worried that she'd get mauled, but she assured me that it had never gotten that crazy. I pointed out that her fan base had gone from eight hundred thousand to over two million since her last book had been released.

She told me that her manager and agents had taken all this into account. I'd already met the doctor that would be accompanying her on tour. I didn't like him. Had her agent really needed to pick a good-looking young doctor? Um, no, but she had. I knew Bella would never be unfaithful, I trusted her. I just didn't trust the hot shot prick who had smirked when Bella had bent over to grab a pen he had dropped. Asshole. I shook the unwanted thoughts away and concentrated on the here and now.

My head was currently on Bella's lap, her fingers running through my hair. We were watching some music videos, and occasionally her voice would start to join whatever artist was on the screen. I turned in her lap, and I kissed her belly. I wrapped my arms around her hips, nuzzling her soft stomach.

"Oh," she said suddenly, and I looked up at her. I hoped I hadn't hurt her. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. I shot up from my position and took her face in my hands.

"Baby? Bella?" I said, looking for anything to tell me what was wrong.

Her lips turned up at the corners, a beautiful smile forming. "I think I just felt our baby move."

My lips pressed firmly on hers, my fingers clutching her to me. I pulled away, her beautiful eyes moist, and then we both started laughing. I could feel my own eyes prickle with tears as the joy I felt consumed me. "What does it feel like?" I asked.

She looked thoughtful as her smile still lit up her face. "A little like wings fluttering," she whispered. She pulled away, shifting so that she was stretched out on our couch. She patted her stomach and pulled my hand to touch her there, too.

I moved to kneel between her legs and pressed my palms onto her warm skin. "A little harder, Edward," she said, pressing against my hands.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded and started to worry her lip. I pressed a little harder, and then I felt it. The pattern wasn't consistent, but Bella was right – it felt like fluttering. I pressed my lips to the same spot and hummed soothingly.

Bella's fingers returned to my hair as I laid my head on her abdomen, continuing to hum to our child. "I love you, Bella." She sighed and returned the sentiment. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"For being with me."

"I love you, and I'm where I want to be."

The next morning, after a successful breakfast in bed, Bella was sitting on my lap as we rode in a limo to the airport.

"Bella," I groaned, panting as she licked the shell of my ear. "Baby – God, that feels good." Last night we'd been both so overwhelmed with feeling the baby move that we'd fallen asleep on the couch. As a result, I hadn't been inside her since our trip. I'd be fine with the forgoing of sex until I saw her again next week, but fuck, her peachy ass was grinding against my erection.

"Want you," she mumbled, her fingers going to work on my jeans. I groaned again and tilted her head back, latching onto her neck. We were stuck in traffic, so we had some time.

Fuck, yes. I mentally checked off another fantasy come true.

~oOo~

I kissed her lips softly as the crowded terminal continued to bustle around us, pulling her as close as possible. Her arms wound around my waist underneath my jacket, her fingers gripping me tightly. I embraced her around her shoulders and back. We remained this way, me kissing her and whispering to her how much I loved her. How much I'd miss her.

_I fucking hate this_. I didn't want to her go, but it wouldn't be fair of me to ask her to give _everything _up. I'd seen her when she sat down to write. Her eyes were bright and alive, biting her lip as she concentrated, her fingertips flowing over the keys. To write was her passion – she was doing something she loved.

She'd said it herself, she loved to sit and talk to some of her readers, to answer questions and gain insight on their thoughts about anything pertaining to her words. She'd met so many people, all from different walks of life, through her writing. Upon reading her books I found myself unable to put them down.

Yes, they were about educating people about sex, but the way she explained and used actual characters in different scenarios made it more like reading short stories – not sex lessons.

I knew she said that she was working on her novel, because she couldn't get an idea out of her head. She'd been avoiding working on her other book obligations, wanting to put her thoughts into writing. I knew she loved it, and I couldn't ask her to give that up.

But that didn't mean I had to like the fact that her writing took her away from me. Tours, editing stints, meetings and hours at the computer left me wanting.

This was something I'd have to get used to. I knew it, too. From the moment she'd given up working at my company and just being the spokesman for her foundation, I knew I'd lose her to her writing.

She'd make time for me as often as possible, but sometimes I felt that she was too distracted. I shook the thoughts from my head and looked down at my girl, and I couldn't help but think that I'd never hurt her again. Taking away something she loved would hurt her. I had to stop being selfish. There were plenty of nights that I'd come home late, working on the latest project. These "binges" of writing would not consume her every thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she whispered.

"You're sad that you're leaving me, but yet, you're excited."

Bella smiled and cocked her head to the side, looking sweet and happy. "I am excited, but not for the reasons you think." I must have looked confused, because she continued. "I spent all week preparing an outline for my new novels that I told you about, and your surprise, too."

"Now I'm curious what you have planned."

"I'll give you one clue – music."

"It's music related?" I paused. "A Broadway show? Opera, perhaps?" She shook her head, gesturing that she was keeping her lips sealed. I tried to kiss the information out of her, but it didn't work. So, I pulled out the big guns – I pouted.

She laughed and kissed my pout away just as they announced her flight.

She was always so damn good at keeping me distracted. I leaned down and peppered kisses along her neck. "Thank you," I whispered. "I love you both so much." I placed a gentle hand on her abdomen, tracing a small heart around her belly button.

"I love you," she whispered and sighed deeply. I pulled her chin up and could see the tears forming. It was my turn to distract her. I took her hand in mine and walked her to the gate. She looked at the guard standing by a metal detector. She looked back at me, longing in her eyes.

"Text me when you land. Call me when you can," I said as I pulled her back in my arms.

"I have one meeting when I get there, but yes, I'll call you."

"Baby, you'll be fine." She nodded and kissed me softly. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay," she said softly. She reluctantly released my hand, turning toward the line forming behind the metal detector. "I love you."

"I love you, baby," I whispered. I could feel a hole tear through my chest with every step she took away from me.

"Bye," we said in unison as she turned away. I quickly took out my Blackberry and texted a message.

I smiled as her phone rang and she looked up at me – still in line. She looked at the message, a delightful smile forming on her face. I could see her fumbling over the keys to type me a message.

My phone buzzed and I quickly opened her message.

_Edward – I haven't even left yet and you're asking for phone sex? Lol_

I laughed and typed another message. _Of course, baby. You know me. ;)_


	35. Time Away

**Subject: Edward Cullen AKA the Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Three – Time Away**

* * *

**Betaed by Stratan**

* * *

After leaving the airport, I felt an emptiness that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was something that overwhelmed me after my parents death. Over time, I hadn't allowed anyone to fill the emptiness within me, not even Esme, though she had tried desperately.

I realized that I hadn't felt this emptiness since Bella had entered my life. Sure, there were times where the inexplicable pain had been forgotten by losing myself inside countless women.

It hit me, I really had used them all, and not only for sex, but also to service a need to escape reality. However, that feeling had never really been filled, just mollified.

Instead of drowning myself in alcohol or drugs, I did it in countless encounters with faceless women. I had never really regretted my actions, not even when Bella came into my life, until that moment. I had regretted when my past came to harm her, but not regretted what I had done. I was just doing what any young, hot-blooded man would.

Had I been a sex addict, or was I leading down that path? The thought, considering all that had happened with Daniel, left me stunned.

No matter my past, I knew that I was much better. When I left Bella after the incident with Tanya, I hadn't allowed myself any release, because I felt I hadn't deserved it. I didn't need to find another woman to fulfill my needs, because I had only wanted Bella.

After we got back together after Daniel's death, there'd been only a few times we made love before we left to the beach house. My needs weren't the foremost thought in my head at the time, because Bella was in need of comfort, support and love. Sex wasn't something I needed to help her feel those things. Since then, we were a very active couple, but it wasn't necessary to feel close.

She wasn't something to dull the feeling of emptiness; she removed those feelings, filling the hole within me. I wasn't really aware of the change, because it happened gradually. I smiled as I drove toward the office, internally hopeful about our future.

~oOo~

Since my arrival at the office, my family had been on my ass. No doubt they worried about how I'd take Bella's departure. She may have put them up to it, too.

I received a text message from Bella, explaining that she had landed in New York and instantly whisked away to her first meeting. I worried about the stress level that the tour would take on her, but she told me that her doctor and agent were going to be careful. Her doctor sent me a message just after Bella's text. The text from the asshole informed me that Bella had eaten well on the flight. She also seemed to be coping very well with all the demands of her schedule.

I thought for a few brief moments that wasn't such a bad guy after all. Then he promptly reminded me that Bella looked great in her heels, but he asked her to change them when her feet hurt.

Yeah, he was still an asshole, but I was willing to overlook it if he took good care of her health.

I was having lunch with my aunt and uncle when they announced that they had some news. One of my home designs was going to be featured in a magazine. We spent the rest of lunch discussing details of what would occur over the next few weeks.

Carlisle expressed that he was very proud of me, and I couldn't help but miss my parents at the moment. I was positive that even though I hadn't followed in my father's footsteps, he'd been proud, too.

Later that evening, during dinner, Rose and Emmett gave me the news that they were having a baby boy. Rose sat beside my brother, her face glowed with pride and adoration as she showed me the picture of little Joshua Michael McCarty-Cullen.

What a mouthful. Emmett had chosen to keep both his given name and take Carlisle's on his eighteenth birthday as testament to Esme and Carlisle's devotion to him since his adoption. Rosalie had wanted to continue as such when he asked if his name had bothered her.

"Em, both names and both sets of parents made you who you are today."

I couldn't help but remember that Emmett hadn't always felt this way. I'd been living with my parents in Chicago, but I remembered some of the details. Emmett had been adopted at the age of eleven, and I was seven. He'd been a terror the first time I had met him. He acted all sweet and innocent in front of adults, but the moment we were alone he had tried all his wrestling moves on me.

Emmett had been placed in two homes after his parents were lost in a house fire that he had been the only survivor of. Carlisle and Esme had been told they couldn't conceive and had decided to open their home to foster children. That's when Emmett had joined them.

It had taken a great deal of time and patience before Emmett could manage to get through dinner without cursing. When his time with my aunt and uncle was ending, they noticed his demeanor change completely.

One week before his scheduled departure he had asked if they could adopt him. I remembered the call in the middle of the night my mother received, my aunt crying that they had agreed to adopt Emmett. They had already planned on doing so. I had a gained a new cousin, and he had been much nicer the next time my family and me visited.

I chuckled under my breath, remembering all the trouble we had gotten into when we were kids.

"What's got you laughing to yourself, Edward?" Rosalie asked, picking up her glass of water.

I smiled at her. "Well, I was remembering what Emmett was like the first time I met him." Emmett groaned and kicked me under the table. "What?" I looked innocently at my dear brother. "Do you want me to fill her head with images of an angelic Emmett?"

Rosalie snorted and shook her head, laughing. "I never believed him when he said that he was a model child."

"You know what they say, what comes around goes around," I said with a grin. "In other words, your kid is probably going to knock on your ass after running after him all day."

Emmett sighed and shrugged. "I'm gonna try to be a good dad, like mine were." I slapped him on his back and told him that he'd be great father. His lips turned into a mischievous grin. "Well Eddie, I'd be more worried about your kids taking after you."

My smile faded immediately. Well, fuck. There were a few tense moments, and Rosalie tried to break me out of my sudden somber mood.

"Edward, you're not that person anymore," she said thoughtfully. "Besides, Bella will be great mother, look how well Nessie turned out to be."

I nodded. Yes, Rosalie was right. I wasn't that man anymore, and I would be a great father. With Bella beside me, we'd learn from our mistakes and take pride in the child we raised. For the first time, I looked toward a future where I wasn't alone any longer. I loved the outlook.

~oOo~

It was roughly after eight went I arrived home, dying to hear from Bella, though at the moment, she was bumping elbows with some big wigs from a studio. I threw my suit jacket on the couch, taking a detour toward the kitchen. I missed the smells that I had been accustomed to when Bella cooked. I missed hearing the racket Bella made every single time.

God, I missed all those times where lunch or dinner laid forgotten on the stove as I made love to her on the counter or floor. I adjusted myself, cursing that I couldn't control myself for one damn night. I grabbed a bottle of wine and poured a glass. While sipping my drink, I thought about all that would occur when she came home from her tour.

Everything had thankfully worked out, and I only had to find a ring. Tomorrow both Esme and Alice would join me on a little hunt. I also had to meet Rosalie Thursday afternoon to view a house she believed was perfect for Bella and me. I started to remove my tie when I heard my cell phone ringing from the living room. I ran toward my jacket and dove for the phone. Yes, my Bella.

"Hello," I gasped a bit out of breath.

"You're breathing heavy, why?" she asked with a giggle.

Oh, she wanted to play. "I was thinking about you," I said huskily. I was positive she picked up on my mood because she instantly returned the favor.

"Mmm, what were you thinking about?"

I groaned as her tone turned sultry and raspy. I loved when she talked like that. I made my way to the bedroom, desperate to feel close to her by lying on our bed. "Before we um," I started, adjusting once again. "Get too ahead of ourselves, let's talk. How was your day, love?"

She told me that she had been busy with mostly meetings with publishing houses and studio executives. She mentioned that she had a radio show and a book signing the next day, followed by a photo shoot. While we discussed our days, I removed all of my clothing, except for my boxers, and settled in bed. I made sure to grab a few items from the bathroom, um, not wanting to make a mess. I told her about the magazine that chose my design.

"Is it the Behrman home?" she asked. I could hear what sounded like clothes ruffling in the background.

"Yes," I replied curious if she was getting ready for bed. It was a bit early for me, but I was all right with it. She squealed and thought that home was beautiful. Then it hit me… well shit.

"Bella," I said thoughtfully. "Would you like if I designed our house?"

She was quite for a moment. "Yes."

"Why haven't you said anything?"

"I wanted you to _want_ to design our home."

"But waiting for construction and permits would take much too long," I reasoned. Truthfully I was already envisioning it.

"I know," she said. "We can move into a temporary home for now, but I'd like to move into something your beautiful mind imagined."

I sighed. "You give me too much credit."

"I know you well enough to know that you are already picturing it."

"Ah, you do know me. Love you, baby."

"Hmm, love you, too," she whispered, her voice transitioned to her husky tone. I groaned, the sudden shift causing me to harden further. "Now, Edward," she said. "Any chance I could get you to mount on our chair?"

Oh fuck.

~oOo~

My sister and mother refused to drive, so I had a limousine service to take us to various fine jewelry stores. It was taking longer than I anticipated, and I couldn't find anything that screamed Bella. I removed a receipt from my wallet, unable to find paper, as we continued onto the next store. Alice and Esme were busy discussing if maybe we should look at something other than diamonds.

I started doodling when my phone rang, "The Reason," alerting that it was Bella. I answered quickly, a smile on my lips. "Hello, beautiful."

"Hi," she said almost in a whisper.

"What's the matter, baby?"

A sob broke out, breaking my heart. "I just miss you," she said. "And God, the book signing was so overwhelming. I had no idea."

"Tell me," I said. I sat there listening, my family entering the store to give me some privacy.

"There were hundreds, Edward, hundreds of people," she said. "There was a group of young women, I'm guessing in their late teens! There was a group of angry parents there, blaming me for their children reading my books. It's not my fault they don't know what their kids are reading.

"Edward, I will be happy when all this is over, and I will no longer be writing this."

"Will you really?" I asked, running my hand through my hair roughly. I should be there for her, especially when she was so upset.

"Yes. No more sex-how-to books. I'm not ashamed of what I've written, but I'll be glad once I've fulfilled my commitment."

"You love to write, baby," I said gravely.

"I'll still write, but I'll concentrate on characters and plots with more depth."

I laughed and smiled at her tone. "Okay, love." I sighed. "I'll stand by you, whatever you decide."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "So, what are you up to that you're not in the office?"

"Nothing," I answered quickly. I noticed Alice coming toward the car, her smile bright. She found something.

"Ah, I see."

"Um, I gotta go."

She laughed. "Okay, I'll call once I get in tonight."

"I'll be here, missing you."

"I know, Edward. Love you."

"Love you."

After ending our call, I took a few deep breaths and sent Bella's doctor and Rachel a text, explaining that if more security was necessary, that I'd pay for it. Bella would probably be angry that I was intervening, but if she was dealing with hate groups, it was best to be safe.

I made my way inside, where Alice was bouncing up and down in place. Esme tried to calm her, but there was no placating my sister. I chuckled and wrapped my arm around Alice's shoulder. I was about to ask what all the fuss was about when, I saw it.

Alice didn't even need to point it out. I knew the one she was talking about the moment I saw it. I smiled at my family, nodding. "That's the one."

Alice smiled and nodded, happily. "Oh, I knew going with something besides diamond would be the answer."

"She does look great in blue," Esme mused.

"That she does," I said in agreement. I asked the jeweler to let me see the ring and about engraving. I would be cutting it close to when I needed it.

"What are you going to say?" Alice asked.

I smiled. "You're my reason, my heart."

Alice smiled and wrapped her arms around my chest. "I'm so happy for you." Her words were sweet, honest and filled with a broken sobs. She'd been an emotional ball of energy since her pregnancy, so I should've been prepared for her tears. I wasn't.

"Don't cry, Ali," I said.

She sobbed and shook her head, burying her head in my chest. "You haven't called me that since you came to live with us when we were kids.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as tears started to prickle in my eyes.

"It's all right," she said. "You were just lost for a while."

"I'm here now," I said, ruffling her head like I used to. It annoyed the shit of her back then, and by the way she promptly stomped my foot, she still hated it. Esme chuckled beside us, her sniffles alerting me that she was in tears, too. "I'm never going shopping with you two again," I teased, pulling my aunt into an embrace so she too could take part in the hug-fest.

It was a nice day.

~oOo~

Bella called me after I had finished with dinner and made a few more arrangements for her return. All the calls had been made, and everyone agreed to attend. David agreed to house the event, and I spared no expense. They were all doing it for Bella – for us.

Bella listened to me talk about my day, needing to just hear my voice. She'd whispered her love occasionally, but I could hear that she was tired, probably even more so than she'd been the first night. We agreed to set up a time for the next evening to video chat.

I told her to head to bed when she asked me to stay on the phone until she fell asleep. I complied and even sang her to sleep. I hung up after hearing her breathing even out after several minutes. I had known what would happen next.

Around two-thirty in the morning, like clockwork my cell phone rang on my nightstand. Bella was frantic; a nightmare had invaded her dreams.

I did my best to calm her. I even attempted to convince her to video chat. She didn't want to be an inconvenience, especially since I had an important meeting in a few hours.

"Bella, just say the word I'll fly out there," I said. I knew she wouldn't ask that of me, but I wanted to go.

"No, Edward," she said firmly. "I just needed to hear your voice. I woke up confused about where I was and why you weren't beside me."

"Okay, but you need to slow down," I said, matching her tone. "You're having these nightmares because of stress which isn't good for you and the baby."

"I will, I promise."

"Can't wait to see you tomorrow," I said, hoping to lighten the tense mood.

She giggled. "Me either."

The rest of the week leading up to my departure was similar to that of her first night. Video chatting had turned into a fun game. We'd be talking to each other about our day when she'd suddenly flash me. I'd laugh, trying to shake off the image when she'd do it again. I'd keep sending dirty little messages about all the lace she flashed at me, and what I wanted to do with her breasts throughout the next day.

She had returned the favor while I was in the middle of a meeting. She had sent me a picture of her trussed up by her own bra. I had to leave the meeting and jack off to the picture in my bathroom or risk exposing myself to my associates. She had to have known what something like that would do to me.

She had, because she called just as I made it to my office. She had asked to put her on speakerphone so she could hear. That night, she let me watch her.

I was leaving the next afternoon to see Bella, and I wanted to get her something. I remembered that she said that her mother had given her a charm bracelet when she was younger, but she had lost it during one of her moves.

I found something I liked and Rosalie helped me find charms before we headed to another house. She had saved the best for last, and it was a good thing, because it really was perfect to start out in. I had figured while Bella was in New York, that I'd need at least two years before our home would be ready.

I had already found the property for it; a one-point-seven acre plot just outside of Seattle. It would be the perfect place to raise our child and a dog. I always wanted a dog. I took several pictures of the house Rosalie had picked out for us and of the plot so I could show Bella when I next saw her.

My cell phone rang as I took a photo of the trees along the property line. "Hello," I answered, realizing that it was Bella's agent, Rachel.

"Cullen," she barked. It sounded like she hadn't forgiven me.

"Yes."

"Bella only has a radio show tomorrow around ten, and then she's all yours."

"I'm not arriving in New York until three in the afternoon," I said.

"You can't be that dense."

"Excuse me?"

"You're going to make me spell it out, aren't you?" I waited. "In other words you can have an extra day with her if you can get here tonight."

Fuck yes. "Got it."

"About time," she spat. "I'll send you the hotel information and leave a key card for you in the front lobby."

"Thank you," I said, but it sounded more like a question.

"I didn't do it for you." Then she promptly hung up.

I smiled and called the airline for the private jet. Rosalie got wind of what was happening and was on the phone with Alice to pack my bag.

All I needed was to find a plausible excuse for my absence when Bella tried to call me later that evening. Rosalie helped me in that department as she reminded me to wrap Bella's bracelet.

~oOo~

Everything had gone according to plan. Bella believed that I was helping Emmett with a problem at a project site. That we were working with the crew late into the night so we'd be fine for the pending inspection.

Except the snow was my fucking enemy. I was scheduled to touch down by nine-twenty in the evening, but the snow was not relenting. Bella was staying at the Fairmount, and if we were diverted, I'd have to wait until morning to get a ride back to New York.

After circling for almost an hour, we were finally allowed to land. Thankful that Alice thought of everything, I bundled up in my heavy winter coat when I met the cold brisk air of the city. Rachel had a car waiting for me, thank God.

We pulled up to the hotel, the wind picking up as I helped my driver, Joe, with my carryon and suitcase. The kindly gentleman at the reception desk was fast and said that the wakeup call had been pushed back from six am to nine. I laughed at his teasing tone and made my way to the elevator.

My heart pounded in my chest as I tiptoed into Bella's room. I quietly left my bags beside the door to the master bedroom, watching her from across the room. Her body was covered in a thin sheet, the duvet twisted around her feet. She slept half on her side and half on her stomach, hugging a pillow. Her dark hair contrasted over the golden hue of the sheets, spread out across her pillow and back.

I missed her so much. For a few moments more, I watched her sleep peacefully. I stepped out of my clothing and slid into bed beside her. She mumbled as I pulled her back toward my chest. I kissed her hair and neck before I whispered in her ear, "Bella."

"I'm dreaming," she mumbled then moaned as I whispered again, my breath warming her skin.

"I'm here, flew out early," I said, her hands meeting mine on her bare stomach.

"Hmm," she breathed. "An extra day?"

"Yes," I said. I wanted her, but if she was tired, I'd let her sleep. My hands ran over her naked body, humming with pleasure to find nothing but bare skin. "I love you," I whispered. She ground her backside against me, making me shudder with need. "Go back to sleep."

She shook her head and turned to face me. Her eyes were lidded with desire and love as took my face in her hands. "Edward," she said in a whisper. She kissed my lips gently, licking my bottom one. I groaned and pulled her even closer – she was never close enough. She rolled over me, her lips still on mine.

Her hands moved over my chest as she pulled away to sit up. She straddled my hips, and my hands instantly sought the warmth of her body. My fingers skimmed over the taut skin of her thighs, and I teased the back of her knees. Her lips and teeth explored my neck, shoulders and chest as my hands reacquainted themselves with every inch of her body. Her legs tightened on each side of my hips as she sat upright to take me inside her.

I pulled her toward me by the back of her neck, seeking her sweet lips. I groaned as I completely filled her just as she done with my heart.

Despite the late hour and our desperate need, we made love slowly. We weren't seeking only pleasure, but reassurance that our time apart had changed nothing. It hadn't, and in fact, I'd say it strengthened our bond. We knew each other at a level that no words needed to be said, we just clicked and moved in harmony.

Bella tugged on my arms, because she wanted me closer. I sat up, our hips still joined together intimately, and the connection deepened further. I groaned as her soft whimpers played in my ear, our movements steadily becoming more erratic. Our kisses were chaste at first, but we allowed them to crescendo as our bodies quaked, falling over the edge together.

Spent, I laid Bella back on her pillow, kissing the soft skin of her neck. I took my usual spot on her chest as her fingers found their way to my hair. We hummed together her lullaby, allowing ourselves a moment of contentment as we drifted off to sleep.

~oOo~

I felt her mouth on me as light interrupted the darkness behind my eyes. Her lips were soft, moving over my Adam's apple, her tongue darting out to taste the skin there.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully. "I know you're awake."

I tried to play it off that I was still asleep. I lolled my head to one side and added a snore for effect. She giggled softly, and then she fucking palmed me, causing me to groan. Damn it!

I pouted and felt her shift to sit on my chest, keeping most of her weight on her knees. I felt her hair curtain around my head as her lips and tongue sought out new skin to devour. I moaned into her mouth as my hands cradled her backside, groping roughly.

She seemed to be in a playful mood, so I swatted her behind and earned a yelp. Surprised by my sudden attack, she glared at me, scrunching up her nose and brow in mock anger. She smirked and held my hands over my head.

"Someone wants to play," she mused as she nipped at my lips.

"Always," I groaned out, her teeth at my neck. I pulled away from her grasp easily and grabbed onto her hips. I rolled us over abruptly, and another surprised yelp left her lips as I mounted her carefully. With her wrists captured in one of my hands, I went to work on her mouth. "My turn."

~oOo~

"We need to shower," Bella whispered as her fingers trailed paths over my chest. I hummed in agreement but made no effort to move. "My _people_," she said in mild revulsion "will be here soon."

"How many are we talking about, baby?" I asked in a teasing tone. I had known since the whole Isa Virgin reveal that she really hated the amount of pampering all her people gave her. "Give me a ball park figure," I continued as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Rachel, Mark, Ruby and Erika will be here," she said. "They're my agent, doctor, hair and makeup." I gave her a speculative look to which she just shrugged. "It's been like that every day since the tour started. Oh, and I said no on the talk show."

She hopped out of bed quickly and headed toward the bathroom. I gave her a few minutes and followed once she opened the door for me. "Don't hurt yourself thinking, Edward."

"I thought you liked the idea of a show," I said. I walked over to her as she brushed her teeth. She finished as I picked my own brush from the counter.

"No, I never really did," she stated, turning to the large shower enclosure. "And if my fan base was this big, I can't imagine it after doing a show. Plus the co-host they had in mind is a complete asshole."

"Well, if that's how you feel, then that's that. But I have to admit, I'm a little relieved."

"I know," she whispered. She sat on the granite countertop, waiting for me to finish as the bathroom to fill with steam. I finished brushing my teeth and was about to shave when Bella stopped me. "Leave it." She kissed my jaw, the stubble there the heaviest than she'd ever seen it. "I love it."

I smiled at her and stood in between her legs. I pulled her closer, her naked center caressing my erection. "Shower time. Need a hand with washing?" I asked, my fingers combing through the silky waves of her hair.

"Of course," she said with a smile.

~oOo~

Bella and I had breakfast as we waited for her crew to arrive. She sat on my lap, feeding me bacon as we discussed my week. There was a knock at the door, which promptly opened without an invitation. Rachel and Mark entered first, and thankfully, we had changed before having breakfast. Rachel headed straight toward the coffee and took two sips then launched into an explanation about the show later and Bella's schedule after I left.

Mark placed his medical bag on a table and took Bella's blood pressure quietly, trying his best to ignore me. I glared and Bella pinched my thigh. I growled under my breath as Mark openly ogled her legs since she was in a robe.

"Good morning, Isa," Mark said rather cheerfully. After he finished with the cuff he took her a finger and placed a lancet at the tip. "Need to check you're iron."

Bella nodded. "Morning, Mark," she said, placing a kiss on my shoulder. Mark wandered off to the side, busying himself with a machine he had placed on a table.

"Bella, have you thought at all about the offer from the cable company?" Rachel asked, looking over a newspaper.

"Not really," Bella said. "I'm not sure if I want to be a part of something like that."

"You're just selling the idea behind the scripts, that's it."

"Yes, but my name will appear in the credits," Bella said angrily. Rachel put up her hands defensively. Bella sighed and apologized for her outburst. "Sorry, Rach. Give me some time." Rachel nodded and went to answer the door to the rest of Bella's people.

Bella was right, time moved rather fast as she was primed and readied for her appearance. I had asked why the primping for a radio talk show, and she said that they usually recorded guest appearances. The videos were then later uploaded on their websites. In other words, she had to look good.

I watched as they transformed her from the soft curved, warmth of my Bella into the unmistakable allure of Isa Virgin. I had no doubt in my mind that had I met her as Isa first, sure I'd want to fuck her, but I'd probably would've been intimated by her confidence.

From underneath Isa's darkened lashes, I found my Bella's warm eyes. "Ready?"

"Not really," I said with a grin.

"In about ninety minutes we'll have the next thirty-six hours to ourselves," she said. "I wonder what we'll do with all that time."

"Hmm," I whispered, kissing her lips. "I could do a lot in that amount of time."

"Oh, I know you could," she teased as she pulled me closer, her fingers clinging to the belt loops of my jeans.

"Isa," Mark interrupted as Bella's hairdresser shooed me away so she could finish. "Don't forget about your doctor appointment tomorrow."

Bella hissed at him, surprising the both of us. "Mark that was supposed to be a surprise," she spat. Mark looked properly chastised and left immediately.

"What doctor appointment?" I asked, suddenly worried that something was wrong. Bella stood up as my hands moved over the small bump of her abdomen.

"We're going to have one of those 4D ultrasounds of the baby tomorrow."

I smiled and pulled her close. "Are we going to find out if we're having a little girl or boy?"

"If you'd like," Bella said quietly, tightening her arms around me.

"Hm, please. We need to time to figure out names."

Rachel interrupted and burst our little bubble. "God knows you'll need the time if it's a girl."

"Shut it, Rachel," Bella said quickly.

I stiffened when I realized that Rachel was right. It would take some time to figure out a name for a little girl. If I counted all the first and middle names of the women from my past, we'd have to cross out almost sex hundred names – fuck.


	36. Name Games

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Four – Name Games**

* * *

**Bella**

I could see several different emotions flash across Edward's face after Rachel's reminder of his past. I glared at her, wishing I could slap the flash of remorse off her face. Remorse and pity were emotions I needed at the moment. Plus, I had known for a fact she was far from remorseful for upsetting Edward.

Since the first seed of trouble with Edward she hadn't been his advocate. I defended him completely, and I had told her directly, that Edward was a part of the package. She'd been tolerate at best since the whole tour mix up, but she certainly liked to push his buttons.

Mark, my tour doctor, was a prime example. She'd known that Edward wouldn't have liked the idea of a handsome doctor on tour with me. If she had known that Mark was this close to coming out of the closet, I doubted that he'd be with us.

I had known that finding names for a little girl would not be easy, but we could find something together. I touched Edward's face gently, softening the crease in between his eyes. His eyes were blank, lost to his own thoughts.

Ruby my exuberant makeup artist, plucked a little too harshly that earned a little slap in the ass from me. She yelped, giggling. Edward's eyes snapped back to mine, filled with a sadness I had only seen a few times before.

"I'm sor –" he started. I grasped his lips together with the tips of my fingers, preventing him from continuing.

"It's the past," I said firmly. His lips vibrated under my fingertips in an attempt to go on. I shook my head and repeated my statement. "Being who we are, there are bound to be things that will come back to haunt us." I leaned in and kissed his lips gently. "Like things that we're not proud of and maybe even regret. The only thing we can do is not let those things destroy _us._"

Edward nodded and took my face in his hands and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. Ruby, huffed like a petulant child, her mouth going on and on about how she'd never get done on time.

Edward pulled away, but his lips still lingered over mine. His eyes were bright and wide as he whispered, "To see the world through your eyes."

I smiled at him, peppering his lips and nose with small kisses. "You can, Edward," I said in a soft tone. "Your eyes are reflected in my own, and they tell me all I need to know."

"What that, my love?" he asked, a half-smile tugging on his lips.

"That you love me," I whispered.

"Truly," he said simply. He smiled, pressing more kisses on my face. Reluctantly, he released me so that Erika and Ruby could finish.

"You know," Rachel said as if nothing had occurred. "You could always make some name up." From the corner of my eye I could see her with her phone. "Let's see, Renee and Esme, um, Esnee… Renme… Oh, I know Renesmee."

Erika and Ruby snickered as Edward rolled his eyes. "I will not name my daughter something like that," I said loudly. "Don't be ridiculous, Rachel."

"Well, considering finding the first name will be just as hard as you keeping your own name," Rachel said but stopped abruptly. I hissed, leveling her with another glare.

Edward's eyes widened. Oh shit. The subject was something I'd hope wouldn't come up until I returned home. "Rachel, I swear if you don't shut the hell up, I'll be on a plane in less than an hour."

"You wouldn't," she taunted, rolling her eyes.

"Try me," I spat. I could feel the blood rushing through me, because she knew that this subject would be touchy with Edward.

"You'd lose millions," she said firmly, her gaze never wavering.

"I'm all right with that."

"Think of all the little kiddies you won't be able to help if you were blacklisted."

"Don't try blackmailing me, Rachel," I said, standing up fully. Ruby and Erika stepped away from me just as Edward stepped closer.

"I'll do what I have to do," she claimed easily. Rachel was clearly the best in the business, which was why I hired her. She wouldn't be the best if she wasn't willing to slit a few throats. Not mine though, and most definitely not Edward's. I smirked, poised to attack. This was the ruthless game we played since they day we met.

"In my contract, Section 15, subsection 3, it clearly stipulates that if my health is compromised by the stress, I could walk away without obligation to complete said contract."

Rachel glared at me, as I danced in my head. Her eyes never wavered as she continued to gaze at me for a full minute. Edward's arm, both possessively and protectively wrapped around my waist, calming me with his touch.

"Fuck, Isa," Rachel said smoothly, as if we hadn't been fighting. "I love you. You're the only client that's not scared of me." I rolled my eyes waiting for more. With Rachel there was always more, she strove to have the last word. "I'll lay off your man, since he clearly knows you can fight your own battles. I respect that."

"Yes, he does," I said with a smile. "The discussion about my name will take place when I'd have time to talk to Edward."

She nodded and stepped closer, but Edward's hand gripped me tighter. "One hour, and don't fuck up the hair," she said, turning toward the door. "The car will be waiting for you." She snapped her fingers for the others, and they scrambled to get their stuff together. Ruby handed me a lipstick, while Erika kissed my cheek before handing me some spritz for my hair.

Rachel reminded me that my outfit in the closet labeled "blue two." After their departure, I was aware that I was left with an angry boyfriend – fuck.

**Edward**

"This discussion should probably wait until there's a ring on your finger," I said through clenched teeth. "But since it's out in the open, I think we should have it now."

Had she no idea how much it hurt? I wanted her to be my wife, the mother of my children as Isabella Cullen. I was aware that times were different, hell, I wasn't even sure if I'd have her take Masen or Cullen. What hurt was that I'd like to have some fucking say in the matter.

Bella's soft expression turned angry as I pulled away from her and started to pace.

"First of all Edward, Rachel brought it up a couple of days ago. Second, she's pushing for me not to change my name." I paused, poised to comment, but Bella held up her hand. "And last, Edward, since we got back together the discussion of marriage had occurred only in passing."

I glared at her. We may have not discussed marriage, but it didn't mean it wasn't on the fucking table. "Why can't you take my name?" I growled through a clenched jaw..

She shook her head as she brushed past me. "I need to get ready." I followed her into the bedroom of her hotel room and waited for her to answer.

"As a writer I'm already established as Isa Virgin and Isabella Swan," she said, pulling out a garment bag from the closet. "In this industry, changing your name is suicide. It's hard. Books would have to be printed with my new names, but fans may not recognize my work unless they frequent the website, which many do not."

That actually made sense. She'd basically have to reestablish herself. And to do that would mean more book tours, more TV spots, or radio shows. In other words, more time away. Something neither of us wanted.

Bella looked over her shoulder, her eyes warm as they gazed into mine. "That is not to say that I won't take your name," she said calmly, turning and disrobing.

For a brief moment, her breasts distracted me, my mouth watering at the sight of them. I beat back the sudden onslaught of lust, because we had to finish our discussion.

"You want to be Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, taking a step toward her. I wasn't sure what she'd seen in my face but her expression softened again.

"Of course I do, Edward," she replied. "It actually hurts that you'd think otherwise."

With another step, she was within reach, and I pulled her close. We both breathed out apologizes, my nose nuzzling her scented neck. "We'll find some type of compromise, Bella," I offered, whispering softly against her ear. I felt her shake her head.

"No," she said with urgency. "I want to be yours. Rachel be damned." I laughed, smiled, and took her face in my hands for a heart-pounding kiss. The lust from earlier reignited.

Bella being the most reasonable pulled away. "Help me get dressed," she said as her chest fell and rose from laborious breaths.

I pouted playfully. "If I must."

She sat on the edge of the bed, my hands trailing down the small bump under her belly button. The skin there was still smooth, but the area was hard to the touch. She sighed softly as I continued to explore where she carried our child.

She handed me a black stocking with a smile. With a tenderness she brought out of me, I caressed each of her calves, nipped behind her knees and kissed the top of her thighs. She reached blindly for something on the bed, and handed me a garter belt with matching panties.

Who knew dressing her would be just as erotic as undressing her. I snapped the little clasps, bypassing the panties. I traced the tops of her stockings with the tips of my fingers, her skin warm and soft. A hitched breath escaped her as I parted her sweet thighs apart.

I hummed in pleasure, the scent of her arousal intoxicating my senses. "Do we have time?" I asked as my nose and the light stubble of my jaw ran along her inner thigh.

"Ye – yes," she stuttered as her body trembled beneath my fingers and lips. "I'm going to smell like sex in that tiny radio booth."

I smiled against her tender skin. "Yes, and I'm sure they'll want to bottle the scent," I mused before licking the junction between her thigh and hip.

"Oh God," she murmured as she fell back on the bed.

"Uh-uh, my love," I chastised. "You'll want to watch this." I pulled her back up, our eyes locked at my mouth descended onto her sex.

Words were caught in her throat, her eyes rolling back. "I think we're going to be late," she gasped. I smiled once again, adding a little hum to my happiness, increasing her pleasure and mine.

~oOo~

In the back of the limo we laughed as Bella tried to remain angry with me. She had been a bit put off at the fact that I picked a fight with the radio personality that was just about to show her just how big his was.

"Edward, if you heard his other shows you would that, that is just his way," she said frustrated. "It's all an act."

"I don't think so," I said, finding her flushed skin amusing. "He got of his chair and was about to show Isa a good time."

"He was not," she said and threw her arms up. She started to laugh and wrapped her arms around me. "Okay, maybe he would've shown me. But if he had, I would've asked you to show him what a real man's dick looks like."

I grinned. "My cock is pretty impressive." She laughed and kissed me chastely.

"You're cocky," she said with a giggle. "Cocky with a big…" I shut her up by pressing my mouth aggressively against hers.

"How the hell did the conversation about sex toys turn to how big Miggy's cock is?" she said against my lips.

"I think it was because you indicated that some of the toys on the marker over exaggerated the average size of a man's dick and it's the main reason why some men don't like their significant others from having one."

"You don't seem to mind," she purred. Oh fuck. Hell no I didn't.

"Well, that might be because most of the ones we've played with are um…"

Bella grinned and nipped on my bottom lip. "Inadequate in comparison to the size of your cock."

"Something like that," I said, pulling her roughly over my erection. Having her say all those dirty words drove me insane.

"I'm not sure. I don't think you've seen my purple one." She giggled at my shocked expression, one that soon to a scowl.

"I haven't seen you use a purple one." I may have pouted playfully at that point, in an attempt to show her I really wanted to see the purple one.

"I only use it for an –" she said before cutting herself off, to pick up her vibrating phone. I wished she hadn't answered it, because I was dying to know if she had anal sex before. It was something we hadn't explored yet and fuck if I wasn't willing to try.

"You didn't have to do that, Rachel," Bella said. "Thank you though. Bye."

"What is it, love?" I asked, brushing some of hair behind her shoulder.

"Rachel got us an earlier appointment."

I smiled. "Do we get to see the baby now?"

She nodded and told the driver the address for a medical center nearby. She bounced nervously and started drinking some water. The appointment was an hour away and she had to drink fluids to give us a better visual of our child.

We sat together in the limo, waiting until our appointment approached. I ran my hand over Bella's abdomen, the baby's movement more prominent now. I started humming some nameless tune, while Bella rested her head on my shoulder.

"If I drink anymore water I'm going to regret it," she said. "I never felt so damn full."

I laughed. "Sorry, but it's a part of the pregnancy." I kissed her lips a few times, lingering to continue tasting the sweetness of her mouth. "When Rosalie took me house hunting, we stopped five times for her to go."

Bella giggled. "I know that it's mean, but that makes me feel so much better."

"Well, this might make you even feel better. I heard Alice and Rose complaining that they gained too much weight."

"I have too," Bella said with a smile.

"Yes, but where it counts," I said with a smirk. "Here." I skimmed my thumbs over her nipples before cupping her breasts fully, earning a sweet gasp of pleasure. "And here." I ran a hand over abdomen over the small bump there. It was barely noticeable, the small wave of movement just under my touch.

"I love you," Bella whispered.

"And I love you," I said. "Both."

~oOo~

"Now, Ms. Swan please lay back," Chris the technician said and then pointed to me. "You help her lay back slowly." I nodded and helped Bella settle down, placing a pillow under her head.

"I received the notes from your doctors, both indicating for me to do a regular ultrasound to make sure nothing is wrong before we do 4D."

"Did they say why?" Bella asked concerned.

Chris patted her knee gently. "It's nothing to worry about, just procedure." Bella nodded, and I helped lift her top up enough to expose her stomach.

After a few minutes, Chris said everything looked good. I let out a breath I held and kissed the top of Bella's head. I kept repeating to myself that everything was fine.

"Now, we can get a clearer picture of your children," Chris said, the corners of his mouth lifting for a second.

"Our baby," Bella said softly. "Wait. What did you just say?"

"Children," I gasped.

"Yes," Chris said. "Your doctor said your hormone levels were through the roof which would imply you're either farther along or carrying multiples."

"That's why you had to check to make sure they were all right," Bella said. Chris nodded and pointed at the screen as a small gold image filled the small screen.

Bella gasped as her moved the wand enough to see the face of one of our children. The image wasn't perfect but it gave us enough to see that one of them had Bella's lips, with a fuller bottom lip. Bella whispered that he or she had my nose, her hand squeezing mine.

Seeing the baby like this made it all more real. I was going to be a father, a father to this sweet child growing inside the woman that I loved.

"From what I can tell there are two placentas," Chris said.

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking at Bella's small smile.

"Their not twins," she said softly.

"Not twins. So, there can be one of each sex in there?"

Bella giggled and nodded. "Or two girls or two boys."

Oh God, two girls. Fucking hell even two boys sounded crazy.

"Can we try seeing the other one's face?" Bella asked, her eyes widened as the baby on the monitor waved its tiny hand around.

"What's it doing?" I asked, curiously. Bella shrugged her shoulders just as the baby lifted its hand toward it's mouth.

"It looks like he or she is trying to suck a finger," Chris said thoughtfully. "Okay, let's see if we can see the other one."

With a few clicks on the keyboard and some wand movement over Bella's tummy, another face came onto the screen. The features were very similar to the first child, but lips were shaped more like my own.

Bella smiled brightly at me. "That's our babies." I nodded, stunned. "Are you okay?" I felt her fingers run through my hair.

"Yeah. They're fucking beautiful."

Her smile widened further and took my face in her hands. "Of course they are. Look who they have for a papa."

I snorted and shook my head. "They are not calling me papa," I said. "We'll save that title for Carlisle. Dad or Daddy suits me just fine."

"Daddy," Bella whispered, her lips pressing against my own.

"Momma," I teased, brushing my hands along her neck.

"If you don't leave soon, I'll bring out my camera. I'm sure I can get a pretty penny for the amateur footage of Isa Virgin and her boy toy."

Bella leveled a glare toward Chris and I shrugged with a grin. "Not in your life. No one gets to film my girl."

"Worth a try," Chris said with a sigh. "Okay. Lie on your side more, so we see if we can get your babies to tell us if they'd like pink or blue in their nursery."

~oOo~

Twenty minutes later, we were on our way to the hotel. Bella's head rested on my shoulder since the busy day had taken a toll on her. She slept peacefully, her breaths fanning along my neck.

I was going to be a father soon and a husband. My life had changed so much in such a short amount of time. There were things since meeting Bella that I'd change in a heartbeat, but if I could would that change where we were at that moment?

If I hadn't left Bella after the situation with Tanya, would we be pregnant with our children? No, she wouldn't be. She hadn't started to take the medication that counteracted with her birth control until that time and if I'd had stayed who knew where we'd be.

One thing I knew. We'd still be together. In less than five months, I was going to be a father of two babies and fuck if they didn't let us see their sex.

Oh well, good things come to those who wait. Our next challenge was to think of two names; we had to plan just in case of two girls, two boys or one of each. Either way, I couldn't wait to trace those sweet little lips with a fingertip. I couldn't wait to feel the grasp of a tiny hand around my pinkie.

Most of all I couldn't wait to see their mother give that unwavering love and support she'd shown me.

~oOo~

Bella had told me our morning the following day would start early so I wanted her to rest. I dressed her in one of my shirts before putting her in our hotel bed. While she slept, I went to see about room service for an early dinner.

While I busied myself with calls and emails from back home I contemplated about what Bella had in store for the following day. She'd asked me to pack a suit or tuxedo so I had surmised that maybe she had planned for us to go to a show or the symphony. She had clued before that it had to do with music.

I smiled at the memory that I had told Bella about my mother. Elizabeth was one hell of a teacher when it came to my piano lessons and at the time, I had shared her dream of me one day playing in Carnegie Hall. Bella and I were both musically inclined, and I'd love if that passion for music would pass on to our children.

"Edward," Bella whispered from the doorway of the adjacent room. I looked up, couldn't help my natural reaction to seeing her partially dressed, sleepy eyes, and rumpled.

"Hey, baby," I said, removing my glasses.

She cocked her head to one side. "You're wearing glasses."

I nodded. "Yeah, I think my prescriptions for my contacts needs to be changed." I shrugged my shoulder and opened my arms as invitation. Bella padded across the soft carpeting and wrapped herself around me. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," she whispered. "I needed it. Thank you."

"No nightmares," I said softly. She shook her head. "Good."

She shifted on my lap and straddled me. She picked up my glasses from the desk in front of us and placed them back on my face. I cocked an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"God, you look sexy with glasses," she said in her sultry tone. The same tone that told me she was seeking some attention.

"Really," I said and purposely letting the glasses fall a little lower. She moaned and ground her hips against mine. She bit her lip enticingly and pushed my glasses back up. "I have a feeling you're into geeks."

She bit her lip, nodding. "You wore glasses the first time we were together."

"That's right," I said. "I was a bookworm back then and painfully shy."

"Don't forget you did play some sports."

"That's only because Emmett forced my ass into it."

"Ah," Bella murmured as her lips ran along my jaw. "I see, but still you were awfully cute then."

I hummed and sought more bare skin along her thighs with the tips of my fingers. "I remember your hair was short then, baby," I whispered, my head falling to one side to allow her access. "You had this cute red sweater that allowed me to see those perky breasts of yours."

I felt Bella smile against the skin of my neck. "You were taller when you asked me to dance. You probably could see down my sweater."

"Of course. I may have been shy but a chance to see tits wasn't going to be wasted."

Bella giggled and bit my shoulder gently, causing me to groan. "I thought you were never going to kiss me," she mumbled, her fingers delving under my t-shirt.

My hands ran up her torso, seeking warm flesh. "I wanted to, the moment I saw you in my room."

"I know," she said softly. "But I wanted you to make the first move."

"I did after what felt like forever," I whispered as my fingers ran over her ribs to the underside of her breasts. She arched closer, moving her legs so they'd hand over either side of the chair. "It was such a sweet first kiss."

I nodded and lifted us off the chair. With a knowing look in her eyes, I set on her feet. I wrapped my arms around her waist as her hands laid on my shoulders. We both started to sway to the memory that played in our heads. And just as I dared to skim her flesh under the back of her top, her hand started to play with the hair at the nape of my neck. Such a simple touch sent a potent flare of desire through me.

I groaned softly, reality as sweet as the memory. I leaned down as I did back then and pressed my lips against hers softly. She whimpered and tiptoed to kiss me harder. I chuckled under my breath and lifted her off the ground to deepen the kiss. Bella giggled as her feet dangled almost a foot off the ground.

"You're just as strong as back then," she murmured. "Do you remember what happened next?" I nodded and took her bottom lip between my own. Her answering gasp was as arousing as it was when I was eighteen. Her lips took my top one, gently nipped at it, as my hands ran over her backside.

"Bella," I gasped. She moaned, capturing her sweet sounds in my mouth.

"I want you," she whispered, still playing the part.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and wrapped her legs around my waist. I groaned and groped her ass more roughly. God, she felt so good against me. I made my way toward the bed and laid her down. With soft and shy touches, we removed each other's clothing, dropping everything on the floor.

I groaned as Bella took my erection in her soft, warm hands. She looked up at me through her lashes, her lip between her teeth. She was so beautiful. "We've come full circle, baby."

She gave me a sweet, shy smile. "I remember you saying how you wished that we'd have more than one night."

"I wanted that," I said as I kissed along her collarbone. "I remember thinking 'God, if only I could keep her with me I'd never ask for anything more.'"

"I'm yours now, Edward."

I laid my forehead on hers, sighing. "I loved you then, too."

"Infatuation."

"Maybe," I whispered. "But no one forgets their first. You were mine."

"Mine, too."

I slid my hands over her pliant body and her warm skin trembled under my fingers. I sought the wet heat between her thighs, and groaned when I found it. With a light touch, I brought her to completion as I had done all those years ago.

Her skin flushed and dampened under my tongue as her body quaked from her orgasm. "Please," she murmured.

"Anything," I groaned. I slipped inside her gently and with an aching slowness. I reveled in every inch of her warmth, and how complete I felt as we came together.

Slow and tender touches soon turned more aggressive and possessive. "I love you," I moaned and flipped us. I cupped her breasts as she sat back to ride me. Her hands ran over her body and hair. My eyes feasted on her wanton movements as she rode me hard.

"Bella," I gasped as the coil in my stomach ached to spring.

"So close," she moaned. "More."

I took her hips and held her still as I pushed up from beneath her. With every thrust upward, I brought her down hard. She moaned and called out my name with every powerful connection.

"Yes," she gasped, he nails dug into my abdomen. The little sparks of pain only added to the pleasure as I shook, my pending orgasm blinding me.

"Bella," I grunted as I brought her down one last time as I came powerfully inside her. Her cries and whimpers alerting me that she came as well.

Spent, Bella laid her head on my sweat-slicked chest. I ran my hands down her back , murmuring that I loved her. After a few minutes I pulled her against my side, our breathing still labored.

"I'm pretty sure if our first time was anything like that I'd never had let you leave my sight."

"You did just fine for your first time," she said softly and then giggled.

"Liar," I mused. "I was a four pump chump the first time."

"Yes, but the second time wasn't so bad."

"Yes, because you suggested I wear two condoms," I said.

"The second time was much better," Bella said. "Of course that may be because I was on top."

I grinned and hummed, cupping her breasts. "Yes, I agree. The view was fucking awesome."


	37. Surprise

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Five — Surprise**

* * *

**Betaed by: Rachelle & Caroline Z. Masen**

* * *

**Edward**

We called my parents the following morning after the discovery of our twins. The amount of squealing and crying from the other end had made my ears ring for several minutes. The same thing happened when Bella called Rosalie and Alice. It was hard to believe in five months that our family would soon include four new members.

The man inside me made me cackle with pride when I realized that Jasper and Emmett would have to catch up to Bella and me.

Unfortunately, Carlisle also relayed the news of a failed inspection on one of our bigger projects. I headed the project, and that meant I'd have to leave early. Carlisle insisted that he could stall for another day.

I would've liked for Bella and me to spend the rest of the day in bed, but she seemed excited about what she had planned for me. So a little after seven in the morning, we were bundled up in warm jackets, gloves and scarves as we made our way to our first destination.

At the front desk of our hotel, Bella spoke in whispers to the manager. The little grey-haired man seemed quite taken with her, blushing every time she smiled or laid a hand on him. It was endearing to see how much she affected people, even though she wasn't aware of it.

She said our destination was within walking distance, but the weather outside was freezing so we took the hotel's limo service.

Bella snuggled up to my side and sighed deeply. "I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next two weeks without you," she whispered.

"Same here," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her tightly. "What we were doing before seemed to work."

"I know you went to work tired, Edward."

"Yes," I said firmly. "But it was worth it. To stay up late, to able to provide you with the comfort you needed. You know if I could I'd drop everything so I could stay, don't you?"

"And you know I could never ask you to do that."

I smiled and kissed her temple. "Just like I can't ask you to give up everything, too."

"We're both stubborn asses," she teased, her hand scratching at my abdomen. She always did this when she was feeling both anxious and frisky. I loved it.

"Hee haw," I said, laughing as I palmed her bottom.

"Ass."

"Exactly."

"I need to blindfold you," she said softly, pulling out a black silk scarf from her jacket pocket.

"Fuck, baby," I mumbled. "You know what that does to me."

She laughed. "Down boy."

"Tease." I slapped her bottom, then soothing it with my hands for a bit too long. She wiggled loose from my arms and climbed onto my lap. "Much better," I said lowly, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

"Concentrate," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Hard to do when you're on my lap and threatening me with a blindfold." I grinned and maneuvered her over my erection.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked in a breathy gasp. "You're hornier than usual."

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "It may be because I'm leaving soon. Or it could be because you're carrying our babies and look beautiful doing it."

"Well, tone it down a little. We won't be able to do anything about this-" she said, grasping me over the material of my slacks, "-until we get back."

I groaned and kissed her roughly, this provided a distraction long enough for her to put the scarf over my eyes. "Cheater," I gasped and nipped at her top lip. She giggled softly against my mouth, indulging in my need to kiss her. After a few minutes, the limo came to a stop. It took a few more minutes for me to calm down enough to get out of the car.

Bella took my hand, keeping me close to her side as she led me somewhere. I heard people murmur around us, so I knew we were out on a sidewalk or something. "Ms. Swan," a deep voice said. "Everything is ready. You and your guest have the place to yourselves for ninety minutes before we open our doors."

Bella thanked him and led me into a building that was considerably warmer than it was outside. I shivered slightly, the last remnants of the chill leaving me. I paid close attention to my surroundings; the smell was remarkably familiar and so was the song that I heard loud and clear.

Slowly, Bella took off my blindfold and when it fell away, I couldn't help but grasp at my chest. It was both painful and heartbreakingly beautiful that she thought of this.

"What did you do, Bella?" She tugged on my hand, leading me down a well-known path.

She lifted her shoulder and let it drop, smiling softly. "I did this for you. You told me once about what your Christmases with your parents were like. I wanted to give you a little of that while you're here with me."

"I can't believe you were able to pull this off," I replied, looking around in wonder. The giant clock that dominated the room cranked out the familiar melody. I took a deep breath and suddenly the memories of my childhood ran through my mind.

There was the look on my mother's face; her bright red cheeks, the smile and devotion in her eyes as she took pleasure in my wonderment. There was also my father joyfully rubbing his hands together, plotting out our course through the entire building.

Bella continued to lead the way and stopped with a smile on her face. I could tell she was enjoying this, and only because she knew it made me happy.

"I know the right people," she said with a gentle laugh. "Go on." She gestured behind her shoulder with a cock of her head. "You know you want to do it. Take off your shoes first."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. I spun us around, kissing her until she gasped to breathe. I toed off my shoes and kissed her again. "You look like a little boy that just woke up on Christmas morning," she said as she wiped her lipstick off my lips.

I grinned, carefully setting her on her feet. I turned away from her and broke out in a run. Yes! My socked feet slid over the glossy white and black keys. Bella giggled as I glided over the big piano at FAO Schwarz.

"This looks familiar," Bella teased as she shook her head. I knew by the amused and darkened look in her eyes that she was thinking about me sliding across my hardwood floor back home. I almost stumbled when I came to a stop with that pleasant memory.

"Tell me how you pulled this off," I asked as I started to tap my way across the keys.

"Called in a few favors," she said softly, slipping out of her shoes. "I wanted for us to make this a traditional visit with our children one day."

I smiled and took her hand, helping her step on the piano with me. "I'd love to bring our children here." I kissed her softly and wrapped my arms around her. "Thank you. This means a lot to me. I haven't been here since I was twelve."

"Esme said it was something you always looked forward to, and that you always started saving your allowance in June for your trip here."

I laughed and nodded. "I did do that. I always left with a new toy from my parents and one I bought myself." I remembered something and it hurt that I was so callous after my parents died. "Every time I came, I bought my mom a teddy bear. She kept them in her sewing room, and I have no idea what happened to the collection."

Bella sighed. "Don't worry about it now. When you get back, you can ask your aunt."

I nodded. "Are you going to play a song with me?"

Bella smiled and took her place. "Let's try something simple."

It took a few tries but we successfully managed _Chopsticks._We laughed the whole time, giving in to the need to touch each other occasionally. I gently pushed her off of the piano when I told her not to quit her day job.

"You know," she said as she watched me attempt her lullaby. "You're built for dancing."

I cocked an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. "You're tall," she whispered. "Lean, yet strong. You're graceful. If you couldn't be on Broadway, you would've made one hell of a Chippendale dancer."

I growled and pounced in two easy strides. She tried to run, but I was much too fast for her. I had her fully encased in my arms, thoroughly kissing her into submission. All too soon, an employee of the toy store came over and offered to take some photos. Bella and I had fun posing on the big piano, one including where I was bent down on one knee with her hand in mine.

"You know it'll happen soon, right?" I asked as I stepped off and led Bella to the big, giant bear.

She sighed and squeezed my hand. "I know enough to know that you're going to try to do something elaborate."

"And you're not going to stop me," I teased.

"You don't have to do something big to get me to say yes," she replied. "But it seems to be something you want to do. However, you can just ask and we'll be engaged."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Where indeed," she said when she saw the horrified look on my face. "I know why you feel you have to do this."

I nodded. When I had asked, I'd been fucking drunk, pissed and heartbroken. I needed to do this. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Come on," she said as she led me to a group of stuffed animals. "Let's get something for our babies."

"Just one thing?" I asked. "We're in a freaking toy store, how are we supposed to limit ourselves to getting them only one thing?"

Bella laughed at this, kissing me soundly. "You're going to spoil them, aren't you?"

"Guilty."

~oOo~

We returned to our hotel room after a quiet stroll in Central Park a few hours later. Bella had informed me that our next stop would require formal attire, but it wasn't set for another few hours. We ordered room service and enjoyed a quite lunch together.

"You know I don't think I know what your favorite food is," I said sadly. "We've been so preoccupied with all the drama that I'm not sure about all the little things."

"You can learn those little things by watching a person sometimes," she said softly as she sat on my lap, skimming a newspaper together. "For instance, I know your favorite food is pasta, especially anything in a light cream sauce."

"You're right," I said thoughtfully. "If you're going by observation, I'd say yours is—"

Bella covered my mouth, grinning. "You were going to say 'my cock' weren't you?"

My eyes widened and I shook my head. "Damn, am I that fucking predictable?" I asked when she let her hand drop.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I just know how your dirty mind works. Think harder and without your dick."

"All right, if you insist." I closed my eyes, remembering all the times we'd eaten together. I thought of her reaction to certain foods and her distaste for others. "You seem to like chicken the most."

"Keep thinking," she murmured, nuzzling my neck with her lips.

I smiled, because she had to know I could hardly think when she was doing something like that. "You like my Chicken Parmesan recipe."

"Bingo. Now, use that photographic memory of yours to figure out my favorite color."

"Red." I remembered the first time I had seen her underwear drawer, there were many various shades of red in that drawer.

"Yep."

"Your favorite author is Stephen King, which I don't understand personally."

"He's my favorite in that genre."

"Fine," I said in mock annoyance. "Your favorite movie actor is Bruce Willis. Do you have a thing for bald guys or something? Because I'm going over your DVD collection, you have quite a few of them."

"I like the idea of rubbing their heads," she teased, laughing when I growled.

"You're right," I said softly and pulled her face up, so our eyes could meet. "I do know you."

"Yes," she whispered, taking my face in her hands. "You do. Nothing is wrong with anticipating each other's needs."

"I like the sound of that," I said, kissing her softly. She returned my kiss and pulled away after a few minutes. It was time to get ready. I helped her to her feet and then swatted her ass hard.

"But it doesn't hurt to surprise you now and then," I said and turned away from her quickly. I barely made it into the bathroom to cut her off, closing the door behind me.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," she spat angrily. "You're going to pay for that."

"Looking forward to it, my dear," I said through the door.

"That fucking hurt," she growled and pounded the door with her fist.

"It barely stung," I said in a sing-song voice. "You got a little extra cushion back there anyway."

"Did you just call me a fat ass?" she whispered quietly and I could hear the tears in her voice.

Fuck. "No!" I said, opening the door. She stood smugly with her arms crossed over the chest. I glared at her. "Truce?"

She smirked and shrugged. "My butt still stings."

I grinned and offered to rub it to make it feel better.

~oOo~

By two o'clock, I was in an expensive black tuxedo, waiting for Bella to finish getting ready. After the incredible morning we had, I had to wonder how she planned to top it. The trip down memory lane was both fun and exactly what I needed. For so long, I allowed the sudden death of my parents' to cloud everything, never truly enjoying anything that reminded me of them.

She had helped me the past couple of months to get back some of those memories and allowed me to share them with her. I couldn't wait until we created fond memories with our own children.

I turned when I heard the door open to the adjacent room. Bella stepped out in a beautiful dark blue dress that hugged her breasts perfectly. The fabric was delightfully snug over her curves and proudly displayed the small baby bump.

I took her hand and spun her around, earning a soft laugh. "You look beautiful, love," I whispered as I pulled her against my chest. "Are you sure we have to leave?" I grinned when she rolled her eyes. I pressed my lips to her painted mouth. I reveled in the small hitch in her breathing as I grazed the sides of her body.

"Stop," she said against my lips, "distracting me."

I groaned and lay my forehead on hers. I looked between us and could see the almost artful display of her chest, a feast for my eyes and mouth. "You in that dress is what's distracting me."

"We'll have the rest of the afternoon and evening after we're done." She kissed me once more and grabbed her evening jacket. The same one she wore to the gala. I froze as I held it for her.

"We can't pretend that the night never happened," she whispered when she realized what had caught my attention. "I'm not going to not wear something only because it has pain associated with it."

I nodded. "I understand where you're coming from," I said softly, slipping the coat over her shoulders. "You need to understand that I can't get over it as quickly. I'm trying, though."

"I know," she said as she grabbed the lapels of my coat. She pulled me closer and nipped at my chin. "All I ask is that you'll talk to me if something is bothering you, and I promise to do the same."

"All right," I said, pressing another kiss to her lips. "If you're willing to divulge everything, have you had anal sex before?"

"Have you?"

I raised an eyebrow and she scowled. "This isn't exactly the conversation I wanted to have before we go to where we're going."

"Fine," I snapped, already guessing the answer. I had no idea why I was angry. I've known that she was more experienced in certain aspects of sex. Fuck, couldn't I have one damn thing over all the assholes before me?

"Edward," she growled. "Stop fucking assuming you know the answer. I'll answer you this, no other man's dick has been in my ass."

She grabbed her small purse and slammed the door behind her. "Fuck," I said through clenched teeth. She said no but she hadn't clarified if she used toys.

Ugh, no wonder she didn't want to have this conversation since I had to adjust myself through my pants. I slipped the hotel room keycard into my pocket and left. I found her waiting for the elevator, her small-heeled foot tapping insistently.

I wrapped my arms around her waist. "I'm sorry," I whispered, kissing her neck. "I love you so much, and I guess I just want something of you for myself and no one else."

"I know," she said softly, stepping out of my arms and into the elevator. "You have my heart, Edward, and I've only given it to you." She fidgeted with her coat, brushing her hands over her stomach. "I'm sorry about how I snapped at you."

"I deserved it. It wasn't the right time to talk about it," I said as I pulled her close. "It's just something I've been wondering for a while."

"Of course, you have, you're a man," she murmured. "The chair will work wonders for making our first time easier for us both."

I groaned. "Fuck," I hissed. "Now when I get home I'm going to imagine that."

She giggled, scratching at my abdomen. Fucking little tease.

~oOo~

Bella had performed the same routine from this morning, blindfolding me while she sat on my lap. And as before she led me by my hand to our destination.

"You're so trusting," she whispered after she safely navigated me though a warm building that smelled distinctly like polished wood. "You don't even take a moment to doubt me when I give you instructions."

"I trust that you won't lead me into a wall or something," I said, smirking. "Besides you like my pretty face." She giggled as my knees bumped into some type of low bench or chair. "I spoke too soon."

"You asked for it," she said through her laughter. "All right, we're here." She positioned me for what I'm guessing would be the greatest impact for her reveal. "I—I wanted to help make one of your mother's dreams come true."

The blindfold fell away to reveal that we were on a stage. Ornate gilded molding graced the soft hue on the walls and high ceiling. I turned to see rows and rows of seats, the red-carpeted aisles and the balcony seats on the right and left of the stage.

I was standing in the middle of the Isaac Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall. I swallowed as the emotions and memories filled me completely. With a trembling hand, I took Bella's and kissed her palm, silently telling her what this meant to me. In front of us stood a black, gleaming Steinway piano under the bright lights overhead.

"I rented the hall for a few hours," Bella said softly. "There's no audience but—"

I turned to her, wrapping her tightly in my arms. "Even if there was, you're the only audience member I'd be playing for anyway." She sniffled and nodded. "Thank you for doing this."

I closed my eyes and just took a moment to gather myself. I slowly slid my hands down her arms and took one of her hands in mine. We walked over to the piano and took a seat on the bench. I held Bella's hand while she took her seat beside me.

I flexed my fingers as I looked out to the seats, picturing my parents in the front row. I felt the pad of Bella's thumb brush a tear from under my eye. "Go on and play," she whispered.

And play I did. I played some of my mother's favorites and Esme's. Soon Bella's lullaby filled the hall, followed by the new one that I'd written for our children. Bella stood at different places on the stage to get the full effect of the acoustics. The look of devotion was clear in her eyes and face as she watched me play.

I was lost in the music for some time before I noticed Bella pull out her music player, and a small stereo from a duffel bag behind one of the stage doors. Once the last notes fell silent, she turned on the stereo and beckoned me with a crook of her finger.

I took her in my arms and immediately brushed my lips over hers. There was tenderness, love and a need to our kiss and touch.

"Do you think we'll come back here again?" I asked, twirling her around.

"I'd bet on it," she whispered. She pressed a kiss on my chin and nipped gently.

"Why do you say that?" I cut across the stage and gently dipped her, earning a soft giggle.

"One day we'll be in the audience watching one of our children play."

We both looked out where rows and rows of seats lay, waiting to be filled with people here for the next performance. "You have quite an imagination."

"Hmm, yes I do," she purred. "Want to see what we can do on a piano bench?"

I shivered at the memory of the last time we _played_on my piano back home. I spun her away with the tips of my fingers. "Such a tease," I growled. I quickly pulled her back in, her body instantly melting against my own.

"It's a once in a lifetime chance to make love in Carnegie Hall," she said softly as she pressed a hand over my crotch. My body reacted instantly as it always did to her—only her.

"Someone will catch us," I groaned. I pulled her closer, eliminating the space between our bodies. Her hand stayed trapped against my hip and cock. "Fuck." I bit my lip as my eyes rolled in my head.

"We haven't tried something like this since the office," she said coyly. _Did she have to remind me of that time she was under my desk?_

I took a quick look around, to see if all the doors were closed. At any moment, someone could walk in on us. _That's a bad thing, right?_ I felt her soft fingertips brush along my jawline and down my neck. My tie loosened and her lips started to kiss newly exposed skin as she unbuttoned my shirt.

"Bella," I gasped. "What's gotten into you?"

She laughed softly and swirled her tongue over my Adam's apple. I cursed and held her close, slowly walking her backward toward the piano.

"I don't know," she whispered, raking her teeth along sensitive skin. "It could be because you're leaving soon. Or it could be the sight of your long fingers stroking all the right notes."

I laughed and lifted her off her feet and took a seat on the bench. "I love you," I murmured and pulled her around so that she straddled me. My hands glided over the soft, smooth skin of her thighs. Her beautiful dress bunched around my wrists as the pads of my thumbs brushed the incredible warmth between her thighs. "You're always so ready for me, my love." I greedily took her mouth, stroking her tongue with my own.

"Edward," she gasped as she ground against me. "Love you, so much." She tugged on my hair for a moment, taking my bottom lip between her teeth and pulling. I growled and grabbed her ass to thrust against her. Her fingers ran down my chest, a fiery trail of desire and heat left in their wake. My tuxedo jacket was tossed on the bench beside us, her fingers working deftly to remove me from the confines of my pants. I groaned as her lips and touch enticed guttural sounds from deep within me.

I swept her panties aside and filled her within moments, dual sounds of pleasure at our lips. "Will it always be like this?" I asked, nibbling on her ear. I bent to lick the hallow at her throat and nip at the swells of her breasts. Fuck, I loved every curve and inch of her beautiful body.

"Yes," she replied breathlessly, slowing her movements above me. The look in her eyes told me she'd always be there for me. She wanted to be with me for the rest of our lives. "I could already picture the graying at your temples," she kissed my temple softly, "the laugh lines that will prove how much you enjoy your life," another brush of her lips at the corner of my mouth, "and face it, with age comes wisdom. By then you'll know how to entice an orgasm with nothing but your voice."

I smirked and thrust hard and fast into her. "I thought I did that now," I whispered against her mouth. "You feel so good."

She leaned further back, her hands on my knees as her hair, brushed the keys of the piano. My hands held her up, my fingers splayed across her back as she moved hard and fast. Her breaths were shallow, a thin layer of perspiration coated her flushed skin, so fucking beautiful. After I thrust up to meet every move, for several minutes, she tightened around me.

A string of profanities left my mouth as my hips lifted off of the bench. I used the piano to support her and stroked hard inside her. She grasped my arms for support, and I came with an incoherent mumble of her name.

We held each other tightly, kissed with reverence and whispered quietly as the high of our release waned. The desire would always be there, the love would only grow, and the adoration I felt for her would only increase with each passing minute.

~oOo~

I closed my laptop a little too hard, startling the passenger that sat beside me in first class. Fuck, I missed her. The morning of my departure from New York, from Bella, was fucking hard on both of us. For ten days I'd be without her again, but walking away from her became harder every time I had to do it.

My beautiful Bella had remained strong, not shedding a tear on the way to the airport. She continued in this manner as I kissed her good-bye at the security area. The first time I looked over my shoulder, her beautiful smile, was still in place. It was after the second time I searched for her that I could see her tears.

Ten days, I told myself as I made my way home. I'd see her again in ten days.

The moment I was on the ground, I sent her a text to tell her that I arrived safely. I knew she was on the way to Philadelphia for another radio show and book signing. I was worrying over nothing, the new security that Rachel hired were very well trained professionals. I also sent a little thank you to God, that she wasn't into heavily muscled men.

Upon my arrival, I was stuck in meetings with city inspectors, engineers and Carlisle. It was too late for me to call Bella when I got home, and I hated that I missed a chance to talk to her. I checked my email and found one from Bella with an attachment.

**To: Edward Cullen**

**From: Bella Swan**

**Subject: Look at me!**

_**Esme said you'd be in meetings all day. I miss you. I forgot to give you the pictures that Rachel has been taking of me. I hope you like them.**_

**Love Always,**

**Bella Swan**

**Mommy-to-Be**

I opened clicked on the download all option and instantly pictures of Bella in nothing but a tank top and panties were on the screen. The slide-show started immediately, and I realized what it was. It was a day-to-day progression of how her tummy was growing. I touched the screen for a moment, overwhelmed with the thought of our beautiful children growing inside her.

I quickly decided to compose a message for her.

**To: Bella Swan**

**From: Edward Cullen**

**Subject: Look at you!**

_**You look beautiful, baby. I can't believe that so much can change in such a short time. I love you, so much. I can see that you're measuring your tummy but forgetting about that delectable chest of yours.**_

**Love always,**

**Edward Cullen aka Daddy-to-Be**


	38. Homecoming

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Six – Homecoming**

* * *

**Betaed by ****bookishqua/booksgalor**

* * *

Already I was nervous, even though the event wouldn't happen for another couple of weeks. I'd been practicing daily with Jasper since I returned from New York. I needed to make sure I wouldn't make a fool of myself.

It'd been a week since I left Bella in New York. It'd been a week since I held her close. Damn, I missed her. Work had kept me busy as it usually did during this time of year. And I was thankful for that. It was something to keep my mind off Bella, or so I thought. She was unforgettable, as she had claimed before. Cocky little brat that she was, _had_put that as her rating in my cell phone directory all those months ago. Now she had even made the song by Cole Porter her ringtone.

Sometimes it seemed that it was just yesterday that I first laid eyes on her. There were days I wondered where all the time had gone, other days I prayed for the clock to move faster. The sooner she'd be back in my arms. I needed her. I thought of her constantly. She reminded me daily how much she missed me.

I know it was much harder for her, she had colleagues with her, not true friends to help her through the day. Whereas I had my family to help, and help they did. As before, when Bella had first left, they'd been a constant in my life since I had returned from New York.

Alice and Esme had been busy preparing our new but temporary home that I had just closed escrow four days ago. Alice and Esme knew about our preferred styles and could easily handle making the house our home. All except for the nursery, I had wanted Bella and I to be a part of that. However, I wanted to be the one to hang the curtains in our babies' bedroom. I also hoped Bella would want to paint a mural, though that may have to wait until after her pregnancy.

_I need to do research on paint fumes and pregnancy._ Since I found a lot of time to myself when I got home, I had been doing a lot of research on pregnancy. There was a lot of information on the subject, parenting and various other aspects of having a child on the Internet.

Bella was on the west coast, and I was tempted to meet in her Los Angeles. However, I knew I couldn't. Besides Bella's busy schedule, I had so many things I needed to do before her arrival. I logged off my office computer and got ready to leave when Carlisle knocked on my office door.

"I was hoping I'd catch you before you left."

I smiled and gestured for him to take a seat. "I just finished for the day. Bella should be finishing dinner in Los Angeles soon, and I wanted to be home when she called."

He smirked and I couldn't help but avert my eyes. He knew exactly why I wanted to be home for her call. "Please don't make a comment. I can barely stomach the memory of our discussion of vibrating panties." I shuddered, causing my uncle to chuckle.

"Let's just hope in twenty-five years you and Bella have just as strong and active relationship that your aunt and I do."

"I'm sure we will," I said. "However, I think you're emphasizing on _active_ just to get me to cringe."

"There is that."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress my smile. "What can I do for you?"

Carlisle sighed and took a seat in the small sectional I had in one corner of my office. He looked thoughtful and just a little sad. "I would've preferred to do this in my home, but I knew getting you to come over would be a little hard."

I started to apologize, make some excuse of being too busy. "Save it. Jasper and Alice had informed us that you were going the extra mile for your proposal to Bella."

I nodded. "I am, but I'm starting to wonder if it's too much. It should be something that is shared by two people."

"And now you're sharing it with your family."

"In a way, yes." I said softly. "You and the family are the reason Bella came into my life when she had. I thought you should share the moment when I asked her to be mine forever." He had no clue how lost I'd been before Bella entered my life. In fact, I had no clue what was missing from my life until I had met her. Found the love that I had always craved but never knew I wanted.

"You don't believe that do you?" he asked. "You can't possibly think after every thing that has happened that you two weren't meant to be."

"I do think that if the situation had been different and we had met on our own, I would've pursued her. I sincerely believe that. However, you have to admit I was about to hit rock bottom before she came into my life. The timing was perfect and your interference was just in time."

"Why do you say that?"

I shook my head, wishing I had something good to say. "I was planning to leave here." He remained silent, but I had to finish what I had to say. "I was bored and I wanted to move on. I had been looking into a position in Beijing."

If he was surprised by my confession, he hadn't shown it. "And now, are you still not happy with your position here?"

"It was never the work," I said.

"You had no intention of becoming an architect. You had never aspired to be one as a child."

"No, I wanted to be a doctor, like my father," I responded. "But as you know after they were gone, I wanted nothing to do with them."

"You were angry and confused," he said. I nodded. "They loved you, Edward."

"I know that, too. But if I hadn't gone over to my friend's house that day, against their wishes after school, they would've never gone looking for me."

"You can't blame yourself for that." He paused for a moment and shook his head. "When you become a father I'm sure you'll understand that you'd do anything for your child. Even brave bad weather."

I nodded. "I do understand that now," I whispered. "I understand how much they loved me. So much so, that they got in their car and drove around to find me. I'd do that in a second for Bella and I know I'd do the same for my children."

"Are you happy here at the company?" he asked again.

"I am," I said. "I don't have any regrets about becoming an architect. And anyway, I found I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to blood. Well at least I had when Bella cut her finger."

He chuckled. "All right, now onto why I came in." He pulled out a small brown leather box. "I want you to have these. They were my mother's."

I opened the box to find a gorgeous pair of sapphire and diamond earrings. "Why me? Shouldn't you give these to Emmett? You adopted him first."

"Yes, I adopted him first. He got her wedding ring, Alice received a necklace but these are yours. You are my son in every way and that matters. I'd hoped that you've come to believe that, too."

I nodded and coughed to hide the sound that wanted to escape. I was getting a bit emotional, he had no idea what this meant to me. "I do believe that, too. I'll never forget all you've done after they passed and since then."

"Then take them and do with them as you wish," he said softly. He rose to his feet, clasped my shoulder, and said his goodbye. I heard the door close, but my eyes were on the earrings. I could already picture them on Bella, dangling along the curls of her hair. I knew which night I would give them to her.

However, there was a twinge of regret. She now associated getting jewelry with the time I had given her a pair of earrings at the gala. I had brought out a small jewelry box with two tiny silver rattles for her charm bracelet, while in New York. She had tried to hide the flinch she had made when she had seen the box in my hands, with a curious smile. There were still things we needed to work through, but no matter what, we'd do it together.

I placed the earrings in my briefcase, grabbing the music sheet I'd been looking over earlier. Closing the case, I made my way home.

~oOo~

By the time I reached our apartment I was running late. Bella was due to call me in a minute, and I wanted to make sure I was inside our apartment. However, as always, she was punctual.

As I entered the elevator to head up, my cell phone rang. "Hey, baby," I answered.

"Edward," she said softly. It was a small whisper and it was enough to tell me she was perhaps running late, too.

"What's going on?" I asked. Voices in the background made it hard to hear.

"My dinner interview is running longer than I had originally planned," she said. I was able to discern a bit of an edge to her voice. "And if one more person touches my stomach I'm going to hit something."

"Ah, I bet you look adorable all round," I teased. "Do we need to postpone this call?"

"I should be leaving in another hour," she said. "Do you mind waiting until then? It'll give you time to get ready since I know you're just getting in."

"I could grab something to eat and maybe tidy up a bit."

She sighed deeply. "Three more days, Edward."

Her voice was seductive as it rasped with the low husky whisper of my name. I groaned and cursed under my breath. Thank God I was alone in the elevator, my hardening length would likely offend some of the uptight people that lived in building.

"I can't wait to see you," she said softly.

"Me too," I replied. The elevator came to a stop and the doors swished open.

"Oh, I needed to tell you something. In the top drawer of our dresser is a key ring with two keys, they're to my trunk and filing cabinet in the closet.

"All right," I said. "I've never been in those."

"And I trust you not to go through my files, but you're welcome to explore the trunk," she said a bit too sweetly.

"What's in it?"

"My sex toy arsenal," she stated matter-of-factly.

I coughed and groaned. "Bella," I hissed. "You can't say shit like that and not expect me to react."

"Of course not," she purred softly. "I want you begging for it by the time I call back."

"Tease."

"Yes, yes I am," she cooed. "Ben is coming to pick up some of my class materials, for the new instructor. It's under the file _Role Playing._"

"All right," I said, entering the empty apartment. It was times like this, which reminded me how much I missed Bella. I had become accustomed to her perfume greeting me before her lips met mine. However, after a few weeks without her, our apartment didn't feel like ours. "When we he'll be by?"

"Either tomorrow afternoon or evening," she said. I could hear someone call out for her. She sighed and apologized. "I'll call you back in an hour. Three more days."

"I can't wait to see you again, baby," I said. I dropped my briefcase, loosening my tie as I made my way to our bedroom.

My eyes, as they always had, drifted over the smooth curves of our Tantra chair. I groaned and Bella laughed softly, as if she already knew the reason for my reaction.

"I take it you just entered our bedroom?"

"I'm hanging up now," I said firmly.

"Oh, you're no fun today," she said, laughing. "Love you."

"Love you, too. I'm going to jump in the shower, a cold one, thanks to you." She responded with a laugh and sexy reference to how much she wished she could join me. Tease.

~oOo~

After a quick chicken salad and shower, I decided to check out Bella's trunk in our walk-in closet. I took my phone, ensuring that it had enough battery power for our upcoming call. I also grabbed my Bluetooth so I'd be hands free – just in case.

As I looked through her drawer of underwear I was aching, which I was sure was Bella's intention when she asked me to retrieve the file. I wasn't a fucking perv that would touch her panties to get off. The line had to be drawn somewhere. Among the piles of silk and lace, there was a box of memorabilia of our time together, and I couldn't help but reminisce for a bit. There were movie tickets, a pack of St. John's Wart, a small bottle of sand from my parent's beach house, our leather cuffs from the evening where I watched her instruct a couple to orgasm and the damn earrings I had bought her.

I had known that she had kept them, but I had no clue that she wanted to remember that night. I mentally shuddered, remembering the look on her face after I had said those awful things. It was not only pained, but also relieved. As if she had expected my reaction. Things could've gone so differently if I had gotten my head out of my ass, and had allowed her to tell me everything instead of airing out our dirty laundry in front of everyone. Grabbing the keys, I closed the drawer with a sigh.

It didn't take long to find the folder she wanted in the small filing cabinet that sat in one corner of our closet. Trying not to read the titles, I pulled the one that she had asked for me to get and locked the cabinet.

In the file I had found lots of information based on the class I'd seen her instruct. Nothing too personal. Except I had found a NDA not only signed by Bella, but Angela and Ben Cheney, as well her last subject before me. It had to be to maintain their privacy as well as Bella's.

This was obviously something I shouldn't have been reading. I was about to close the file, until I found notes written by Bella, notes on her experience using a strap on with someone she hadn't named. Oh fuck, I had no idea. We had to talk a little more about her sexual past, even if I loathed the idea of hearing about her and other fucking men.

She had said she hadn't had anal sex, however, before the relationship with her last subject, she had been preparing for it. I wasn't angry, I know if she could've told me she would have. However, I had to believe that she wouldn't lie to me either.

I shuddered at the images and tried to dispel them. She was with _me_ and not some other man. I had to find peace with that. She after all, had to deal with the fact I'd been with countless other women. Most in the Seattle area. Putting the file aside, I knelt in front of her trunk and unlocked it with the skeleton key.

_Holy shit._There were many things that I'd seen in a porno, some that I'd used on with the women before Bella. It mortified me to admit, but I had no idea what the hell some of this stuff was. Within the trunk there was a box labeled photographs. My hands clenched into fists at the thoughts of pictures of her with someone else, but curiosity got the best of me. I opened it, swallowing the ball of dread caught in my throat.

From the first glance in the box, there seemed to be mostly pictures of a room – one filled with rather interesting items displayed on the walls. I'd seen a similar room at the party we had attended. From what I remembered, Bella had mentioned that it said the room was used for BDSM purposes.

My hand shook as I found one picture amongst the others, one with her in it. The background of the photo consisted of a wall made of stone, directly behind her was what appeared to be a simple cross. With her chained to it – naked.

I wanted to hate the picture. One, it wasn't me that took it. Two, it was obviously taken at a heightened state of arousal. Three, I really wanted to be the one taking the picture. However, I fucking loved the picture. She was completely irresistible like this.

She was gagged with something red and silky, panties maybe. Her hair was held up on the sides, away from her face, but the rest hung loosely over her shoulders. It was longer than what she had now, the tips just touching the raised peaks of her breasts.

Her eyes were covered by a dark fabric and I could see her head was slightly turned upward. Something she did when she was close to orgasm. Her arms were spread high as her hands were grasping something . Stomach taunt, her legs spread wide, invitingly so. Fucking beautiful.

I left the trunk unlocked. There would be no more secrets behind closed doors or locked trunks.

With the photo in my hand, I was determined to ask Bella about it when she called. In many ways I didn't want to know, but she wasn't with any of those before me. She was with me, and soon she'd officially be my wife. Though I loathed the idea of another man's hands on her, it was obvious that she wouldn't be as experienced as she was if it hadn't been for them.

But they're still assholes.

We both discussed that we wanted to explore things, for no other reason than to try things _together_. If I wanted to do a scene with her, I'd have to question her about past experiences and possibly what she learned from them. All of that information would only serve to enhance our own experiences.

I sent a quick text to her. _I'm logging on to Skype._

She replied within a few minutes. _Kinky. Should be done in 20. Are you ready? ;)_

I laughed out loud at the teasing tone of her text. _Always. See you soon._

Fuck, I was aching. The picture, the contents of the trunk left me with a serious case of blue balls. The past few weeks had been torture, only truly sated when I was in New York. Though the cyber and phone sex was damn near out of this world, it paled in comparison to when I could feel her touch and touch her in return.

I grabbed my laptop and figured our bed was best place to discuss her photo. I was one sick fuck because my only thought was centered on the picture. I thought about lots of revolting things to calm down, Emmett in a Speedo, Emmett in Bella's corset – that did it.

Finally able to concentrate, I logged on and waited for Bella. While checking my email, I saw Bella pop up a few minutes early. Smiling, I put on my headset and asked if she was ready. The next moment she called me.

She had a big smile as she came on screen. "Hi," she whispered, but her eyes narrowed instantly. "You have a very serious look on your face. What's wrong?"

I sighed and shrugged. "Did you make me look for that file on purpose?"

She blinked and smiled. "You've been curious to know more about my sexual past, but afraid to talk about it. I thought you needed encouragement."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Well it worked. I found your notes on an experience with a strap on. But you never mentioned a name."

"It was different and with Mike."

I coughed, swallowing and suppressing a shudder. The images instantly conjured up were way too much for me to handle. It didn't help that I knew Mike. With my hand held up, I gave her a look that had her instantly pursing her lips. "I don't want to know more," I said.

She looked worried. "You can ask me anything, Edward."

This was it. I could have her answer whatever I wanted know. I held up the picture and couldn't believe how composed she remained. There was no reaction to the picture, not even surprise. She waited for me to say something.

How do I ask about that picture without sounding like a whiny little bitch? I ran my hands through my hair roughly, nearly knocking off my headset. I rolled my eyes. "Did you have an idea what the picture would do to me?"

She smirked. "Maybe."

"You've never allowed me to tie you up," I said. It may have sounded like an accusation, if my tone was an indication. She raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"You never asked," she teased. "If you had, I would've let you."

"You look a little younger," I said, looking at the photograph then at her.

"I was about twenty-four when that was taken," she said. She fidgeted in her seat as her hand ran through her hair. "It was for a demonstrative scene and my first."

"Demonstrating what?"

"How the senses are affected when others are taken away."

I nodded, instantly remembering the time she had tied me up when we went the beach house in California. I remember everything I felt without my sense of sight, every touch more intense.

"Despite the reasons for the picture, you look fucking hot, baby."

She laughed and kissed her hand, touching it to the screen. "Damn, I miss you, Champ."

I wiggled my eyebrows. "Are those panties?" I asked, pointing to the gag in her mouth in the picture.

"Yes they are my panties," she whispered in this hot little voice that had me groaning out loud.

Bella grinned. "I have a feeling you only saw the pictures and closed the trunk."

"Maybe," I growled. "You're bound, gagged and naked in the picture. The rest of the trunk was filled with things. Things I might add, we can't explore until we're together."

"That might be true, but I was hoping you'd take a look at them." She tried to contain her laughter, but failed.

"Nope, sorry," I said playfully. "The thought of pictures of you were more important, and therefore was my first priority. Then when I saw the picture, it was like, 'what trunk?' I'd been leering at it since I've found it."

"So you didn't get a look at the handcuffs or the flogger?" she asked, smiling, attempting to hold back her laughter still.

I held up the picture and licked my lips. "Baby, I got this picture now. It's better than any porn. Who needs sex toys when I got this?" I made sure she could see that I had to adjust myself, causing her to sort of snort and moan at the same time. "This will forever be in my spank bank. In fact I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking of this picture first thing in the morning. "

I dropped the photo on the nightstand and grinned. The next moment, there was nothing but tits on my screen. I groaned while she giggled at my reaction. "Until then," I grunted. "You're so going to pay for that," I hissed, adjusting myself again. Her face came back on screen, all smug and cocky. Brat. "Show me your tummy."

Scowling, she complied by opening the robe she was wearing. Nothing but skin underneath, my mouthed watered. The thought of her carrying my children made her all the more alluring. I may have, at this point, palmed myself again, but ignored it otherwise. It was about time I made sure she was taken care of first. I wanted to concentrate on her and only her.

"You're fucking beautiful, babe." I licked my lips and admired her for a few silent moments as she blushed. "How about I talk you into relieving some of that stress?" I asked. Her beautiful lips visibly quivered as she gasped. Just a preview of what I'd enjoy watching for the next hour.

~oOo~

It'd been a busy twenty-nine hours and I hadn't spoken with Bella for well over a day. Which of course pissed me off, but I was relieved to know that in less than forty-eight hours she'd be home. I'd been irritable all day, snapping at everyone at the office.

Finally, it had been Alice that had told me to go home, because I was being an ass. I didn't really care, but I left anyway. When I finally reached my apartment, I was tired, hungry and desperate to hear Bella's voice.

However, I knew I couldn't talk to Bella for several hours. She was busy with the best of Hollywood entertainers at some party in Los Angeles as her alter ego. Luckily, we were in the same time zone.

I popped my neck as I started chopping some vegetables for a teriyaki stir-fry. I grumbled through the menial task, at one point sending carrot slices everywhere, rolling around on the kitchen floor. I was on fucking edge, chopping too aggressively. I started to clean up the mess I made when there was a knock on my door.

I was confused, since the security usually notified us that someone was coming up. The notification was a precaution we had insisted on since Daniel had tried to hurt Bella before he died.

I cautiously opened the door. What the fuck? "How the hell did you get in here?"

**Bella**

Even jetlag would not stop me from walking inside the building. I was two days early. I had some cramping earlier. Even though my doctor said that everything was fine, Rachel had insisted on ending my tour as a precaution. I was relieved.

I had sat for hours in a bad chair while I signed book after book, and it was murder for my back. And I could've killed Alice for insisting on the heels. My feet protested within an hour of wearing them. I was tired, and I yearned for the comfort of Edward's arms.

I could see Derek and Rick, the security guards, at the front desk. They both gave me a greeting, introducing me to Craig, a new member of their team. However, when the newcomer looked at me after hearing what apartment I lived in, he appeared shocked.

Since my only thought was Edward, I didn't care. However, I did manage to see him pulling out his cell phone as I stepped into the elevator. Whatever, he wasn't my concern.

I knew it wasn't fair for me _not_to call Edward that I was arriving early, but I thought he'd like the surprise all the same. I laid my hand over my stomach, tears forming in my eyes. I had to have an ultrasound as a precaution earlier in the day, and the twin sounds of our babies' heartbeats were on my music player. I found it soothing on the flight home. I had some rather good or bad news, depended on how he'd take it, for Edward.

Home. I hadn't felt as if I had a home in so long. It wasn't the house or the fancy apartment that made a house a home, but the people that lived in it. After I had witnessed Brianna's death, my childhood home lost all its appeal. After losing my parents, I couldn't even walk into the house.

Edward was my home and I thought that I was his. Soon, we'd be adding two members to our family.

I stepped out of the elevator and adjusted the strap on my shoulder. I had only my carry-on, since Rachel said she'd have a service deliver my bags in a couple of days. I managed to fish out my keys, since I knew that Edward usually showered at this time, especially after a long day at work. Stupid new ordinances had them scrambling in overtime to finish the revisions to half a dozen of their current projects.

I really hoped I could slip into the shower with him. Though, I knew I was too tired for much else, I wanted to feel his arms around me. I'd settle for nothing less.

I opened the door and gasped. On the couch sat Edward with Angela on his lap. His head was tilted back but his eyes were wide open. His hands were up beside his head and Angela's mouth hovering over his. I could see one of her hands trapped between their bodies and it only fueled my anger further.

And before I could drop my bag, Edward's jumped off the couch and Angela landed surprisingly well on her feet. That didn't surprise me, considering she'd been accused of adultery on many occasions. I took in her attire, lots of revealing skin, dressed to get the attention she always sought. In other words, dressed to fuck. She hadn't looked shocked to see me, only smug. That alone confirmed my initial assessment.

Edward's harsh gaze was on Angela, but when he saw that hers was elsewhere, he turned toward me. "Bella," Edward said, surprised. He hadn't heard me come in. His breath was harsh as I closed the distance between them and me. There was something in his eyes. Fear.

**Edward**

Fuck. I couldn't even make out what her calm expression meant. I hated that I had yet to decipher all her little nuances that would help me get a reading on what she was thinking.

Angry with myself, I looked at Angela and could not believe I hadn't seen what she was up to. She stood too close, leaning toward me, but her eyes were on Bella. I never should've allowed her into the apartment. How the fuck had I let that psycho-hose-beast get the best of me? I hadn't liked her from the moment I had met her at that party. I'd known women like her, the kind that were persistent and manipulative.

"Did you really think this would work?" Bella asked, remaining as composed as ever. "How could you do this?"

Inside, my stomach churned at the thought of what this would do to us. Would she believe me? Would she leave me over a misunderstanding? What the fuck else would she think it had been, considering the scene she just walked in on? The fucking bitch Angela, standing too close to me, may have just ruined my life. She may have just shoved me back into the pit I had dug for myself, the same pit I had worked so hard to crawl out of since I'd met Bella.

When I had answered the knock earlier, Angela had pushed me aside and had started calling out for Bella. I had told her a few times that Bella wasn't home and that she wouldn't return for a few more days. However, it was all a fucking ploy to get inside the apartment, with me, alone.

I had tried to get rid of her, but she continued to talk as if I hadn't said anything. She fucking dared to tell me that Bella would leave me due to a boring sex life. Making it sound that Bella would eventually get bored of remaining monogamous, and then I let her have it. She had no clue to my relationship with Bella, and it wasn't her damn business, either.

Angela bit back with just as much as venom as I had. Then suddenly, she received a text and fucking had the nerve to check it in the middle of my argument with her. I had been seething and ready to call security and as I reached for the phone, she tackled me. She caught me off balance, causing us to land on the couch behind us.

"Bella," I said in a desperate attempt for her to see that it wasn't what she thought. She had no reason to believe I wouldn't cheat on her. I had on several occasions, caused many women to cheat on boyfriends, fiancées or husbands. It wasn't something I was proud of, and now, once again, my past would bite me in the ass.

Her attention, her almost too peaceful gaze, was on Angela. Not on me. Angela stood beside me, laying her hand on my arm. I quickly moved away from her toward Bella.

She put her hand to stop me and shook her head. Fuck! I was afraid to get her angry in any way, she was in a fragile state as it was. Despite her composure, I could see how tired she was.

"Did you really think that I'd believe he would cheat on me?" Bella asked Angela.

Nearly snapping my own neck, I did a double take in Bella's direction. _What?_

"What did it look like? He's a really good kisser." Angela smirked and once again tried to touch me. I was a fucking statue. Bella didn't think I would cheat on her. Was that what the question she asked Angela meant?

"Yes, he's a very good kisser," Bella said in a husky voice. "When he's into it."

"Seemed to me he was very into it," Angela said almost sweetly. I stepped further away from Angela, shaking my head in disgust. There was no way I'd allow this woman to antagonize Bella. However, Bella seemed to know how to handle the vile woman, so I allowed her to continue.

But, I stepped closer to Bella, just in case.

"Not fucking likely," Bella said firmly. "You see, Angela, when Edward kisses me, his eyes are closed, not wide open in shock. Second, his hands aren't up defensively, but on me." Angela visibly tensed. I couldn't help the other step I took closer to Bella, putting myself in between them. I refused to take chances where Bella was concerned. She'd been through too much already.

Angela huffed and stalked father away from us both. Thank fuck. Bella looked at me and kissed my chin as she took my hand. "It's okay, baby. Let me handle this and we'll talk." I nodded but stood a half a step in front of her. Her fingers tightened around mine, but her thumb brushed against my knuckles. She was fine, it was her way of telling me not to worry. I snorted internally, as if I ever could stop worrying.

Bella returned her attention to Angela. "Attacking Edward was the last damn straw, Angie." She stepped toward Angela, causing the woman to step back from Bella's wrath.

"You need us," Angela said loudly, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "We _made_you when we all lived in Los Angeles."

"Your parties may have helped my books to sell, however, I never wanted that type of attention," Bella said, shaking her head. "I didn't mind doing a demonstrative scene, or teach a class here or there; but I was never interested in becoming a fucking attraction. That's you, not me."

Then Angela turned desperate and angry. "He would've fucked me if you hadn't have come in."

No. Just no. I snorted. "There was no way that would've happened," I said to her, loudly. Enough to get her to take another step back. "I was a second away from _forcing_ you off me." Angela's nostrils flared and the immaculate bun in her hair started to fall apart as she shook her head.

Bella sighed. "I'm calling Ben and Judge Hanley. We will be putting a restraining order on you. You are to stay away from Edward and me. We don't need this shit."

"You can't just leave me – the students," Angela pleaded.

Bella gasped and this time I was able to read the look on her face. She was scared. "It was one scene Angie, one scene."

Angela looked defeated. "It was more to me."

"I'm sorry," Bella said. "Why don't we go out to the hallway?"

It was obvious Bella wanted Angela out of the apartment, but I grabbed Bella by the arm and pulled her in close. "There is no fucking way you're leaving my sight. Do you understand? Do not move farther than arm's length, got it?" Bella nodded and led Angela to the door, with me in close pursuit.

Once at the door, I left it wide open so that I could keep on eye on them. I pressed the button on the intercom, to reach security downstairs.

"Derek, Cullen here," I barked. "Get the hell up here. Someone came up to our apartment uninvited. I need someone to get her out of here, now."

Angela wrung a part of her top in her hands like a towel, as Bella continued to talk to her in a calm manner. Thankfully, she remained several feet away from the distraught woman.

Bella's head snapped to mine, closing the distance between us. "I know why you're upset, but if you keep on going that way, it'll only force her to lash out." Angela sighed deeply, sliding her back along the wall and onto the floor.

"The fact that she tried to seduce me and ruin our lives isn't enough for me to lose my goddamn temper?"

"She didn't try to seduce you, Edward. She attacked you," she said in that calm voice of hers. The one that she used when she wanted to appear strong but wasn't. Not really. Damn it, she was going to fall apart if I couldn't get a hold of myself.

"Damn right I'm angry," I hissed. "You've been through enough shit. You, no we, don't need this. I think you should call Detective Gomez right now."

Bella looked to where Angela sat on the floor. Angela looked up at us both, but turned to look at me and licked her lips, laughing silently. Bitch.

"Yes," Bella whispered. "I'll call Gomez, but I'm also calling her husband, so he can call her doctor." She took my face in her hands. "Watch her. I hope that she won't try anything else right now, but it's best to be safe than sorry."

I looked at her then. "Baby," I whispered, laying my forehead on hers. "You can't save everyone." We both looked at how Angela was ignoring us, at least pretending to.

"I know," she replied. "Normally, I would've just called Ben and tried to work things out discreetly."

"I know that this can't be easy, but it's out of your hands," I said. "The only way to help her now is for us to take the proper precautions. She has to understand that there are consequences to her actions."

She nodded and trembled in my arms. I could see that she was trying so hard to keep herself together. "I know, I have to let someone else to get through to her."

"Exactly," I said, pressing my lips to her temple. "It's for the best. For all of us." After a few moments, Bella disappeared into the apartment, picking up the phone immediately. Angela tried to get up and follow Bella, but I leveled a look that had her cowering against the wall again.

"Don't fucking move," I snapped.

Derek and Rick burst around the corner and skidded to a stop in front of us. Their eyes were wide and in shock. It was obvious that neither of them had allowed Angela to enter the building. I gestured toward Angela, who acted like they weren't there. She stared blankly at the wall in front of her.

"Mr. Cullen?"

"She got in. Uninvited. Made a scene. I want her gone. We're already calling the police. Take her picture, she's never to come into this building again."

Bella stepped out into the hallway while still on the phone. "Detective Gomez, said he can charge her for assault. It's up to you, Edward."

I nodded, not even hesitating. Angela would never learn if I allowed her to walk away.

"Then she needs to remain downstairs until he arrives," Bella said to Derek. "I'm going to finish my calls inside." She walked back into the apartment, but hadn't closed the door completely. No doubt listening.

When Angela started to hum something to herself, my attention returned to her.

"You want me, baby. You need me, because you love me. Only me." She started to pull something out of her purse that sat beside her. Both Rick and Derek grabbed their weapon of choice. A tazer and a baton. I watched as they cautiously approached her. She only started to sing louder. Bella's name amongst the twisted words.

Derek's eyes widened. This was obviously more than they'd ever had to handle. He said, "Um, she's -"

"Crazy," I snapped. Angela continued to sing, pulling out a nail file. This caught Bella's attention from inside our apartment.

"Fuck!" she cried out. "Stop her." Bella lunged at Angela, but I caught her around the waist. Angela dug the nail file along her arm, where several more scars were. Blood started to ooze from the thin, jagged cut.

"Angie," Bella said. "Please don't." Derek and Rick each grabbed Angela's arms, forcing her to drop the file on the floor.

I tightened my arms around Bella, trying to get her to calm down. Fuck, she'd seen enough blood. "Take her downstairs. Her husband and Detective Gomez should be here shortly."

"No!" Angela screamed. "No. She needs me. Let me go!" While she kicked and screamed, Bella cried. Angela ranted, "How could you do this to me, Bella?" She spat toward me, but she wasn't within reach. "It's all your fault. She would've been with me if you hadn't come along. Asshole!"

Her eyes widened and angry tears formed in her eyes. "Bella. You don't need him. Please, don't let them take me. I don't understand. Why do you hate me? Why does everybody hate me?"

I gestured toward the elevator, silently telling Derek and Rick to get her the fuck out of here.

Bella shook in my arms, refusing to look at screaming woman as they hauled her down the hall. I felt her arms go limp around me, and I knew it was too much for her. I quietly walked her inside our apartment, closing the door behind me.

She stumbled a bit as we approached the couch, so I bent to take her in my arms. Slowly, her arms rose to wrap around my neck as fresh tears continued to fall. I carefully laid her on the couch, pulling the throw blanket over her.

Tucking some hair behind her ear, I brushed some of her tears away. "I need to go downstairs but I need you to stay here." Her eyes widened and she bit her lip. She wanted to tell me no, but she was so tired that I knew she wouldn't. "I'll take care of this. The only thing you do now is to take care of yourself and our babies."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "That wasn't the homecoming I'd hoped for."

Taking her face in my hands, I kissed her lips and brushed my nose along hers. "It wasn't the one I pictured, either." For a few moments, she let me hold her as her tears subsided.

"Edward," she murmured. "Are you okay?" I nodded, because I knew why she asked. What happened only minutes ago had been assault.

"I'm fine, baby," I whispered. She looked skeptical but nodded all the same. "How about we call the doc and see about a session this week?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," she replied. "Oh and we're buying a new couch." I held back my smile and only nodded. "And we're burning your pants."

I laughed and kissed her once more before I left to make sure Angela would bother us no more.

~oOo~

It was well over an hour before I was able to return to Bella. Ben, Angela's husband, arrived just after Detective Gomez had. He had to witness his wife being hauled off in handcuffs. All the while, Angela only repeated one phrase, "Why not me?"

Though my anger toward her still lingered under the surface, it was obvious that Angela clearly needed help. Ben hadn't been surprised by what Angela had done, indicating that he'd known something was coming. He apologized and said that he regretted not picking the signs that her obsessive behavior had turned toward Bella.

Detective Gomez took my statement and would return tomorrow afternoon to take Bella's, after I had insisted on it. There was no way I'd have her rest disturbed after everything she'd been through. Once I spoke with our building's manager, Craig, the new security guard had been fired. He had been on watch, while Derek and Rick were on break, when Angela had arrived. Though there was no proof on the video footage, he had confessed that he let her up to our apartment.

I locked the door behind me, making sure all my movements were as quiet as possible. Bella needed her sleep, I only hoped that she had gotten to bed. The apartment smelled like the dinner I had started to prepare before I was rudely interrupted. On the coffee table in front of her was her plate. At least she had eaten.

Where I found her, was on the couch. Resting comfortably on her side, I noticed she had changed into something different and completely unexpected. And undeniably sexy. In nothing but one of my button down shirts and pair of tube socks, she slept. Her tummy was on full display and I had remembered how she preferred it this way when she was alone. Itchy skin. _Poor baby._

Unable to control the pull, I strode toward her. I knelt beside her and brushed my fingertips over her face. Her soft, pink lips parted with a sigh of my name. "I'm taking you to bed," I murmured.

"Mmm, all right," she mumbled in a sleepy stupor. "Let me roll over first. From behind, babe." I held back at laugh because it was obvious that she was having a very nice dream. I kissed her once more and rose to my feet. In a well practiced move, I pulled her in my arms and hers instantly wrapped around my neck. After a moment, they fell limply to her lap and side as I walked toward our bedroom. "Don't forget the whip cream." She nuzzled against my neck and sighed, her eyes still closed in sleep.

"Never," I whispered. Morning would come soon and I was determined to give her a proper homecoming. After we talked about why she was home two days early.


	39. In My Dream

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven – In My Dream**

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**Betaed by ****bookishqua/booksgalore**

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**Bella**

Blood coated every surface around me. Beneath all the crimson, the room was unrecognizable. Where was I? An office perhaps? My hand shook as I brought it to my lips, a futile attempt to keep from screaming. When the coppery taste of blood hit my senses, my stomach roiled.

I stared at my hands horrified to see flecks of blood on them. A part of me wanted to scream, but the more dominant part kept me from doing so. That if I had I'd awaken Edward, and that my pain would be his, too. I couldn't do that to him.

_No more pain_, I chanted silently.

I fought to keep the sting of tears at bay._Damn it, no!_There was no falling apart for me, not now, not then. The touch of her hand came to rest on my shoulder, and even though the room was dimly lit, I could see her profile.

"Brianna," I whispered. An old ache bloomed in my chest as my dead best friend's name resonated throughout the gory room.

"There was nothing you could have done, love," she said. Her touch was so cold, and nothing like the warmth her friendship had given me when she was alive.

"I was too busy after that night I caught you with Jordan," I said, looking at the destruction of the room that morphed to my old living room. "Maybe if I'd taken the time to find you, you wouldn't have-"

Brianna's bright curls moved as she shook her head at me and cupped my cheek. "I didn't return your calls and I didn't want to talk to anyone after what happened with Jordan."

I couldn't continue watching her pale green eyes without breaking down and sobbing, so I dropped my chin to my chest. "I didn't try hard enough."

"You did," she whispered. It was so soft, but echoed throughout the room. "It was my choice, not yours, never yours."

"I should've been able to talk you out of it," I reasoned, looking up to see her softly smile.

"Maybe," she whispered. "But I never gave you the chance because I did not want to. You can't live always thinking what if. It won't change anything."

"It's all I have," I said softly. "Something to cling to, so that I could continue to do what I do."

She tugged on my chin and her eyes told me to reexamine what I've said.

"An excuse?" I asked myself.

"One of many," she replied as her hand gestured toward a group of unseen faces.

Quietly, I walked over to see Julian, Jacob and the rest of my former subjects. They were talking as if they've known each other for years, and laughing and smiling about something Jacob was saying.

"I told her what she wanted to fucking hear," Jacob continued as he shook his head. "If I hadn't she'd been on my ass trying to," he used his fingers to gesture quotes, "fix me forever."

I was numb from his words, he never said anything to me. Why would he say those things? Was this how he really feels? Looking at the other men from my past, I could see them all nodding, agreeing with him.

"Yeah, man," one of them said.

"Preaching to the fucking choir, bro," another said.

What the hell does this mean?

"Let go, Bella," Brianna said softly as she stood behind me.

"Let go of what?" I asked as Brianna tried to lead me away. I shook my head, taking another step toward the men. I wanted to hear more.

"How the fuck was I supposed to tell her that what she did was fucked up?" Mike said to the other guys. "That's one thing about her, she's so freaking weak and she doesn't even know it. You take one look in those baby browns and you can't tell her shit because she never _really_listens."

Reese ran his hand through his dark black hair, his smile as vibrant as I'd ever seen him. "I was only in it because she had all that innocence, that vulnerability that made her irresistible. I broke her in."

"Ah," Mike said and laughed. "We're the ones that made her the sex expert her books claim her to be." The guys all chortled as he pulled out a leather strap from his back pocket and slapped it against his thigh. The laughter continued, but their words were lost as the lights dimmed around them.

Brianna took hold of my hand, pulling me away from the voices of my past. I sobbed and shook my head. "I don't understand."

"Bella, you need to let go," Brianna repeated, softly stroking my hair.

"I don't think I can." A choked sob escaped me. Her hand slipped from mine, and I desperately tried to take it back. "Please don't leave me."

"You don't need me anymore," she whispered as she took a step back. "You never really did." Without thought I tried to close the distance between us, she shook her head. "You have all you need. Let go, Bella."

Brianna, her seraphic face, red hair and smile faded in the shadows of the room. All around me I heard the murmurs of those that I tried to save after I had failed Brianna. All of my subjects, patients, even the families of my former subjects all had one thing to say.

"Let go."

I gasped as they continued, the voices swirled and ended with a series of ever changing faces. Faces of those that I helped and hurt, Daniel, Brianna, Edward, and my brother amongst them.

I screamed as blood started to drip from Jordan's abdomen.

"You saved me," he said. "Now save yourself."

"Let go, love," Edward whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. I sighed and melted against the hard plane of his chest. "For yourself, let go. I'm here with you, always."

I gasped as I jerked awake to find myself sitting on my bed. Sweat beaded most of my body. The coppery scent of blood no longer invaded my senses. My hands, felt soft and dry as I looked to see that they were no longer covered in the blood of my past.

It was all a dream. A few dim fingers of light from the bathroom fell over the bed, illuminating Edward's naked back. Relieved, I breathed deeply for the first time since the dream turned into a nightmare.

Pushing a few strands of hair from my face, I turned to see that it was only six in the morning. Edward had mentioned something to my barely conscious form the previous night that he wasn't going into work. Allowing my head to fall back against the pillow, I stared at the ceiling above me. The nightmare, no dream, replayed in crystal clarity in my mind.

Since I'd been nineteen years old, I had allowed past events to lead to the life I lived. Excuse after excuse had led me through the choices that I had made. However, those choices had led me to Edward.

Was that just another excuse? No, I know in my heart that somehow we would've ended up together.

As I turned to face Edward, his arm reached for me. Once his hand found my thigh he pulled until I was pressed against him. His hand automatically smoothed over my hip and stomach, sighing. This continued for a few moments until his breathing returned to normal.

Even in his sleep, he soothed me. I brushed the hair from his forehead and watched his brow furrow for a moment.

"Bella," he murmured. His head sought out the crook of my neck, nuzzling me there. "My Bella."

"Yours," I whispered softly. He wanted me even in his slumber. There was another decision that I regretted. The choice not to call him the day before when I had been in the ER.

Thoughts swirled in my head, making it hard to stay in bed any longer. I had more choices to make, and I hoped I'd made the right ones. Later, when we were both awake, we had others to make together.

With a soft press of my lips over his, I left to have a moment to myself. Damn, bladder control was non-fucking existent at six months with twins. After getting cleaned up, I checked on Edward once more before making my way to our office. I looked among my music cd's and pulled out the nine that I needed. With a through check through Edward's things I found his file that had led to his discovery of the truth.

After closing the office door, I pulled out our shredder from under the desk and turned it on. Taking Jacob's disc out from its case, I gave it one final look before slipping it inside the machine. The quiet hum it produced was hardly louder than a blow dryer, as I continued to the next file disc. Once I was done I dropped the cases into the trashcan. Step one was complete. _What the hell do I do now?_

I wandered into the living room, noticing that I'd barely killed a half an hour in the office. There on the coffee table was the file that Angela had asked for. Angela.

How could I not have seen that she'd fixated on me? Then again, hadn't I ignored the same tells in Daniel?

I'd been so caught up in all the drama of my life that I hadn't given a second thought to Angela since the party. Sure, she had called, had emailed and had requested to have lunch with me. Nevertheless, I had completely failed to see her as a threat, much less someone who was in need of serious therapy. I had known for quite some time that she used to cut herself in college. Ben and I had gotten her the help she needed when we had noticed fresh wounds at a party.

It was another thing that told me that the choice not to take further patients was a good one. Now, the question was what was I supposed to do about myself? Edward and I were already seeing a therapist together and we had discussed about me going to one by myself.

Was I ready to purge the truth to a complete fucking stranger? _Damn, I'm a foul-mouthed bitch when I was sleep deprived._ Not only had I a need to tell someone outside of the family, outside of the circle of people that knew the truth, but also I needed to let go.

I'd been so independent for so long that I had messed up the previous day. I only hoped that Edward would forgive me for my error. Fuck that, forgive me for being a stubborn ass.

**Edward**

The warmth I had once again grown accustomed to the previous night, was gone when I woke up. After putting Bella in bed, I had called my family and let everyone know that I'd be out of the office for the rest of the week. They had known that I would take some time off once Bella returned.

I hadn't told them about Angela; it wasn't something that I wanted to share with anyone. Groaning, I ran my hands over my face. Fucking hell. Had all that shit really happened?

Where the hell was Bella? The shower wasn't running, but I was able to make out the slow beat of a Maroon 5 song coming from outside of our bedroom. She was already up and making breakfast. Damn it, why couldn't let me care for her? _Did she not believe in sleeping in?_Bella was in desperate need of learning how to relax.

I pulled on a pair of sleep pants. Bella hated when I wore clothes to bed, considering she hated wearing them herself. Not that I minded. It was even more of a requirement since everything made her uncomfortable in her pregnancy.

After a quick trip to the bathroom I made my way toward the kitchen. Only to find her on the phone, pacing -which was so fucking unnatural.

I'd seen her do it only once, the day she'd found out that we had visited the beach house so I could retrieve my mother's ring. Then she was nervous, no doubt because of the secret that laid between us. This was totally different.

Breakfast laid on the coffee table in front of the couch, warm and a reminder of past mornings. I should've been grateful, but I was more concerned about why she was on the phone.

"Thank you." She ended the call as she rubbed her stomach. Suddenly, her body stilled and after a moment turned to see me standing near the hallway. Her answering smile was timid and nothing liked I'd hoped. I had no fucking clue as to why. Despite this, her hand reached out for mine.

Bella gave me a half smile and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Good morning," she whispered, nuzzling my chest.

"Why are you up already?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. Kissing the top of her head, I lingered there to take in her soft scent.

"Couldn't sleep," she murmured. She sighed and squeezed me for a second longer. "Let's have breakfast, I'm starving."

I laughed and sat down on the couch, pulling her down next to me. "Are the babies having cravings?"

A lovely blush covered her cheeks as she plucked a slice of bacon from her plate. "No, just me. I think." Taking a bite she blushed again. "I couldn't decide what to make. I was close to making every breakfast item in the apartment." Laughing, I pressed my lips against hers, unable to resist.

"It's a good thing I had groceries delivered the day before last," I said, grinning. Before me on the coffee table, was a plate full of French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs and sausage. I turned to look into the kitchen, sure enough every surface was sparkling clean. She was obviously nesting, something I had read about in our books about pregnancy. How long had she'd been up?

However, there was something missing about this breakfast. It took a moment for me to realize and once I had, I pulled Bella onto my lap. She laughed softly, pulling around so she could kiss me. "That's better," she whispered against my lips. I nodded, happy the feeling was mutual.

We ate, feeding each other. Enjoying the quiet peace that settled over us, considering what had happened the night before, it was just what we needed. With the last bite of French toast from my plate, I pressed it against Bella's soft mouth. She hummed as she took the last bite.

"I'm stuffed," she said, rubbing her tummy. "I think that should keep them quiet for a little while."

Concerned, I pressed my hands over her abdomen. "Are they not letting you sleep?"

She shrugged. "I haven't been sleeping well and that has nothing to do with my pregnancy."

"Because you were away?" I offered. She nodded and did a little half-shrug.

"That and yesterday was an eye-opening experience." She shifted off my lap and settled her back against one corner of the couch. I took her legs and brought up to lay across my lap. "Are you really okay, Edward?" she asked. "You can tell me, and if you can't, I'm sure we can get you a solo appointment with a therapist."

I shook my head, taking one of her feet in my hands. The next few moments happened so quickly that it took several more to figure out what had just happened.

Bella screamed bloody fucking murder, snatched her feet from my hands and was across the room in seconds. Food and our drinks were dripping on the coffee table, couch and even me. I could see her clutching her abdomen protectively.

Fucking hell, had I hurt her? Damn, I had no damn clue what I was doing anymore. Especially when it came to Bella's health and pregnancy. Ever since I had left her alone in the hospital, I had always thought that I'd fuck this up again. I'd make some horrible mistake and hurt her, our babies, or us.

"Bella," I said as I rose from the couch. Her whole body shook as I approached, after a few deep breaths she relaxed. "Please tell me what I did." Even I could hear the desperation in my words. I had to know.

"I'm sorry," she said, softening her features further. "You can't rub my feet or even my legs. It could trigger contractions."

"All right," I whispered, extending my hand out for hers. "That explains why you removed your feet from my hands, but not your reaction." She shook her head at my hand, and I ignored the sting from her rejection. "Tell me what's wrong."

"My brother and I were preemies." Fuck, I did _not_ know that, this only added to my fear over the upcoming birth. Why hadn't I thought to ask about that, she is a fucking twin. She ran her hands over her face roughly, finally reaching for my hand. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I freaked out because of yesterday."

My body immediately tensed. "Is something wrong with the babies, with you?" I hadn't realized that I had pulled my hand away, only to grasp her by the shoulders.

"Edward," she whispered. "You're in that 'grr' mentality again and holding on a little too tight."

I loosened my grip. "I'm sorry." I shuddered. "It's the thought of you and our children in danger-" I shuddered again, pulling her closer, needing that distance between us eliminated.

"I need to tell you something," she mumbled. "I realized something about yesterday." Her brows furrowed and she seemed at a loss for words.

Taking her hand in my mine, I sat on the couch, pulling her down next to me. "You can tell me."

"I realized that if I hadn't walked in on the situation with Angela," she started, nervously biting her lip. I had no idea where she was going with this. "That you would've promptly kicked her ass out."

I snorted and grumbled, "Fuck, yeah."

She gave me a small smile before she continued. "And you would've told me what happened."

"Of course," I said. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like that, at all. It wouldn't be fair of me to keep that kind of information from you." She flinched and I understood the look on her face.

Guilt. Fucking guilt.

She sighed and nodded. "I know that now. And I'm really sorry, I wasn't thinking when it happened."

"When what happened, Bella?"

"I had some cramping really early yesterday morning." My hands grasped both of hers, clutching to them as she continued. Immediately, a several different scenarios went through my mind, all equally frightening at the one before it. "Nothing's wrong. I was checked out by an ER doctor and everything looks just fine."

"Why didn't you call me?" I could hear in my own voice the hurt behind my question. Not only was I hurt that she hadn't called me, but afraid.

Had I really destroyed all her trust in me when it concerns her health and our children? Suddenly the unwanted image of her devastated face when I left her months earlier haunted me. I'd left her to decide what was best for her and our babies - alone. Even after she had asked for my help, I had left.

The voicemail messages I'd received shortly afterward were also just as unforgettable.

"_Edward," Jacob had said in a deep growl. Behind his voice were the sobs and someone yelling. "How fuck can you do this to her?" He had taken a deep breath, before he had continued. " Look, I know you're hurt, trust me I how it feels. When I found out the truth I wanted to wring her little neck. But damn it, Edward, this is Bella for fuck's sake and your baby!"_

Another from Esme. _"Edward," she had cried. "Please come back. I know you enough to know that you'd never forgive yourself for leaving. You both love one another, shouldn't that be enough reason to stay, to talk? Are you afraid?"_

I had been afraid, that day. Despite the anger and hurt that I had felt that night, the night I had walked away from Bella, from our baby, fear had been one of the most prominent emotions. After I had heard those two messages they had made me solidify my decision to leave at the time.

After my parents had died, the sense of abandonment, the loss, the anger had torn me apart. I had made a choice back then, at the tender age of fourteen, to never allow myself to have a family. For I would never wish the pain I'd felt on my worst enemy, much less someone that I'd loved. On my wife, on my children. Since that day I had been diligent about birth control, not losing my virginity until eighteen, though there had been ample opportunity. And once I did start having sex, I had always used a condom. Until Bella.

In the end, a child told me to listen with my heart, and I had returned home to retrieve it. It had laid in Bella's hands since the day that she had shown that she loved me. My defection at the time, seemed to have had another effect on our relationship. She didn't trust me enough to confide in me, to instantly want me by her side should something happen to her.

Haven't I been there for her since? I reined in my anger, because Bella didn't need another thing to worry about. She should've called me, though.

"You didn't call me," I said as flatly as I could, averting my gaze from hers. The memory of Bella lunging after Angela the previous night was scary enough. Had I known that Bella had been the ER hours earlier my blood pressure would've been through the roof.

"I know." Her fingers clutched tightly around mine, like a lifeline.

"Why?" I looked at her then, and could see the apology all over her face.

"Edward, I was cramping, and I had been worried. My only thought was to get checked out. I didn't think." She scrambled through the sentence quickly, as if she couldn't find the words to tell me.

"What do you mean?"

"I just acted. By the time it occurred to me to call you, it was all over. I didn't want to scare you." Before I could say anything, I sensed there was something else she wanted to say. With a gentle squeeze of her hand, I encouraged her to continue.

She sighed and looked down at her lap. "I'd never had to answer to anyone before, which may be part of the reason why I hadn't called. I realized last night that it was so wrong of me."

I took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm myself. A part of me wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. Tell her that she was my life, that our children were my life, and that I had every right to know. But I knew I couldn't talk to her in that manner. She was still incredibly fragile.

"I know I couldn't have been there when it was happening," I started, placing my finger under her chin. With a little push I had her eyes meet mine. "But you should've at least called me _right_ after." I was surprised at how easy it was to hide the hurt from my voice. Yet when she looked at me, her face fell.

Her fingers tightened around my own. In an effort to show her that everything would be okay, I brought her hand to my mouth to place a kiss on them. I knew it was hard for her to admit that she was wrong.

"Edward, I just wanted to get home to you. After I got the all clear from the doctor, that's what I did."

"And they're sure everything's all right with you and the babies?"

"They concluded that it was pain from the scar tissues from my earlier surgery. They're constantly being stretched, causing the twinges."

Internally, I cringed at the thought of her on any operating table, only solidifying my fear of the upcoming birth. So much could go wrong.

"The moment you had that scare and called someone, the next call should've been me," I said. "I want to be a part of all that happens with your pregnancy. I can't do that if you're shutting me out."

"I know that, now. There was so much going on and I was relieved. I also didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd worry. After what happened yesterday, I knew you'd tell me the truth about Angela. I know now that I should've told you, too."

"Damn right," I said. "And it's not just the babies that I want to know about. If something is happening with you, health-wise or anything for that matter, I have the right to know. You are my life, as much as our children."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, climbing onto my lap. She nuzzled my neck, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. "I love you so much." I pressed my lips to her temple. Though I was still angry, I loved her just as much as the day before. That was something I knew would never change.

I looked around me and saw the scattered drinks and plates across the floor. "We need to clean up our mess," she said.

"Yes we do," I said, grabbing a fallen plate from the ground and stood up."You get a towel. I'll get this."

She took my hand. "We'll do it together." She smiled and pressed her lips against my cheek.

After cleaning up, we sat together for a while, the clock in the living room striking nine in the morning. "Since I'm not going to work today, what do you want to do?"

"We have a busy day today," she said. "I made an appointment with a therapist. We have an ob appointment a few hours later." She rubbed at her shoulders, rolling her neck several times.

"Let me," I whispered. "I may not be able to rub your feet but at the very least I can rub your back and shoulders." She nodded, settling between my thighs and against my chest.

"Detective Gomez will be here later today to take your statement," I said, concerned that all this was too much for her. "I can call him to postpone until tonight," I murmured, rubbing where her neck met her shoulder. I was happy to provide some comfort. Her health and her needs came first, especially now. It was my turn to take care of her. Stubborn or not, she was going to let me.

"About Angela," I whispered, wishing I didn't have to disrupt the quiet peace that we had established again. "You didn't think that I'd cheat on you?"

She shook her head. "You thought that I would?" she asked.

"With my past, it wouldn't be hard to jump to that conclusion. I never gave you a reason to believe otherwise."

"You gave me a reason, you love _me._I trust you."

I let her words settle, it was the last piece that had been missing in our relationship. Our trust had still been on a proverbial cliff after I had learned the truth. After I had left her when she needed me most.

Until she said it, I had no idea how much I needed to know that she trusted me. I felt lighter, even more so when I looked to see that in her eyes, to see that she loved me truly. There were still things to work through, and I'm sure new things would come up often, but we'd handle them together.

"How do you know her?"

"We attended a few classes in LA, but I lost touch with her. Then Reese brought me to one of their parties. That's actually where I met Mike. We did a scene there and Angela was the other submissive."

"She had mentioned a scene," I said. Damn it, I was curious. I didn't want to hear about a scene with another man, but I was curious about what sparked Angela's obvious obsession with Bella.

Bella hesitated, turning her head to look at me. "When you asked if I had been with a woman, I lied."

I nodded. I had a feeling that this was coming. "Your hands were tied because of the NDA." I grinned at my own pun, causing her to slap my arm. It was an attempt to lighten the tension that had arisen. "I don't fault you for that. You couldn't say anything. I take it that it wasn't your call."

"No, it wasn't. I had agreed to be a submissive for one scene. Reese had taken advantage of it. In the end it was the catalyst to end our relationship."

"He hadn't asked your opinion on the matter," I concluded.

"In a way, yes. That, and I didn't like the loss of control."

I snorted. "No shit." We both knew that she hated to relinquish control in just about every situation. It was good to know that she seemed to be coming around. Enough to allow me to take care of her.

"I made an appointment for my own session. Today, in fact." There was an edge to her voice as she continued. "I'm going to tell her about what I had done, with my subjects, I mean."

"You could lose your license to practice," I whispered. "And your credibility as an expert in sex."

She nodded, her head falling forward, looking down at her lap. "I never claimed I was an expert in my books or even in my interviews. My readers were the ones that gave me the title of doctor. You've read my books, they're stories more than they are instruction manuals. As for my license, I don't think I can practice anymore. At least not right now, I won't be able to anyway. My subjects were never paying clients, so I don't think I have to worry about that."

"Why?"

"I had always known, since the very beginning that what I was doing was wrong. It was the reason I was so cautious about my subjects. I always tried to justify it, with how if I hadn't helped they'd be worse off or someone would do something drastic. Like Brianna had. There was always a part of me that knew, though."

"And now it can't be as easily dismissed?"

She shook her head and sobbed. "No."

Carefully, shifting her around so that she'd lay comfortably, I crawled over her. I pulled her back to my chest. I murmured to her, "I love you so much. I hate to see you like this." However, it might have been the thing she needed most. It wasn't right what she'd done, so I refused to tell her it was okay.

Luck was on her side, lucky that they'd all came away from what she'd done to become better people. However, there was so much risk that it could've turned ugly. Angela and Daniel are, _were_ perfect examples how bad things could've gotten with her former subjects.

Her tears were accompanied by little sobs, hiccups and tightened fingers around my own. Slowly, I pushed up to my feet to take her in my arms. Her arms wrapped around me, and for the second time in less than twelve hours, she cried against my skin.

With slow measured steps I walked toward our bedroom to lay her on our bed, her body immediately turning away from me.

"Shh," I said, pressing my lips to temple. "I'm going to draw you a bath." She hadn't acknowledged me in any way.

As fast as I could, I filled our bathtub. Taking the time to set a warm towel beside the tub, I felt her before I saw her. It surprised me that she pulled herself out of her state without me, but it also gave me some peace of mind. Her episodes were few and far in between. Nightmares had been the only obstacle, or so I thought. Now we had guilt and doubt to work through.

I turned to see her leaning against the doorjamb, looking somewhat amused as I poured a cap full of something fizzy into the bath water. "What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes bright from her tears.

"Taking care of you," I replied. Extending my hand, she took it without hesitation. The question in her eyes remained, surprised by my actions. "Why are you so surprised about me drawing you a bath?"

"Not surprised," she answered softly. "It's just no one's ever done this for me before."

"I'm glad I'm the first," I said and gave her smug smile. "And the last."

The corners of her mouth lifted. "And the last," she repeated. Slowly, she allowed me to pull off all her robe and shirt she wore. Touches and brushes of lips were chaste and comforting.

I held her hand as she climbed into the tub, watching as her face softened in pleasure. She moaned as she settled inside and blushed when she realized what she'd done. Picking up a small cup, I poured it over her hair.

"It's been a while since I've washed your hair," I said, pouring some shampoo into my hand. "But I think I remember what to do."

She laughed softly, closing her eyes as I started to rub my fingers over her scalp. "That's surprising since most of the times you had, you were preoccupied with other parts of me."

I groaned, "Tease." I shook the lustful memories from my mind, avoiding looking at the rest of her. "Until we get approval from the doctor, we're keeping things strictly PG."

She pouted as I continued to wash her hair, rinsing it. "No leg hitching allowed?" she asked, closing her eyes as the water ran over her face a little. Internally, I groaned again._Did she have any idea how hard it was not to touch her?_

"No leg hitching," I said. "We'll ask if we can at the doctor appointment."

She smiled and nodded. "You know there's a chance we'll get to see them again. Do you want to know what we're having?"

"In a way I do." I grabbed a washcloth and started to lather it with soap. "I'd like to know what to do with the nursery at the house."

"Yeah," she said thoughtfully. "I'd like to pencil in a mural on the west wall."

"That's exactly what I was thinking about, too."

"But I can't paint it until after they're born," she said, grimacing. "The smell makes me nauseous."

"Yeah, I figured it probably isn't a good idea. We can always have the babies in bassinets in our room until their room is ready."

"We can, but it shouldn't take too long if you help me."

I handed her the washcloth, clearing my throat. "I think for both our sakes, you should wash yourself." She laughed and took the cloth from my hand, flicking some suds at me. I cleared my throat again and tried hard not to watch her glide the washcloth over her. _Fuck, I am a man, but this is torture._

"You're willing to let me help you paint," I said, a bit surprised. "You're not one of those sensitive-type artists that freak out if someone touches your things."

"Hell yes, I am," she started, leaning forward to likely wash her legs and feet. "But I'd like for you to help me create something for our babies."

"I'm terrible at painting," I grumbled. Yet, I was blown away that she wanted this, and by how much I wanted it, too. "But I'm willing to learn."

"Do you think we can go this week?" she asked, tossing the little washcloth toward the hamper. "To the house, I mean."

"Sure thing," I said. "I figured out how long we'll be there, at the temporary house. With the time constraints and the fact that I want Emmett's crew working on it, I figure at least two years, maybe three."

She cringed. "That's a long time, by then we'll be attached to the house."

"I know," I said, pulling the tub stopper. "But you have to admit the house I planned is awesome."

"Yes, it is. When you sent me the blueprints I was awed. You have some amazing ideas." I smiled, happy to have her compliment me on an important project such as our dream house. "I also like the idea of something being ours, only ours."

"It will be," I said as I rose to my feet. "Our house on our property with our family living inside. But no matter where we live, my home is with you and where ever you are."

Her bottom lip trembled as I helped her to her feet. I kissed her nose and took her face in my hands.

"Shh," I murmured. "Don't cry, love." As I kissed the tears before they could stroke down her cheeks, and I wrapped a towel around her.

"Damn hormones. Sorry, I'm a fucking mess," she whispered. "This past month has been a little stressful and now you're being so sweet." I took her hand in mine, helping her from the tub. Slowly I rubbed the towel to dry her. "No one has ever done this for me. I never let them."

"Well I'm glad I can be the first," I said. "And again, the last one to. Let me go get you something to change into. I forgot."

"Sure you did," she teased. I smirked because she was right, it was just an excuse to see her naked. When I returned with a pair of boxers and one of my shirts, I found her standing in front of the full-length mirror.

"I can't see my toes," she said, looking at me through the mirror. She looked down and wiggled her toes. "I bet my manicure is chipped."

"You're toes are as cute as ever," I teased and offered her the clothes I'd gotten. "I can paint them for you if you'd like, a little practice for later. Besides, since I can't suck on them like I'd love to, I might as well paint them."

She moaned softly, whining, "Who's the tease now?"

I cocked my head to the side, noticing the enticing flush from the bath, her pregnancy and yes, arousal. "You're the world's champ, baby." She blushed even further and mumbled something under her breath that sounded like "must need his glasses."

"I heard that," I said, brushing my hand down her arms. "I can see perfectly fine. You're beautiful, even if you can't see your toes."

"Thank you," she whispered. "Help me?" Handing me the shirt with a little fancy flourish she lifted her arms and her eyebrows at the same time. From the corner of my eye I could see her smug little smile when she noticed my eyes looking straight at her breasts.

I sighed and grumbled, "If I must, though clothes should be illegal for the next week while we're home."

It was a nice little detour and fresh reminder that we could still be who we are, despite all the crap we'd been through. The rest of the morning passed in much the same way, teasing, chaste kisses and just us relaxing.

However, an hour before Bella's appointment with her new therapist, Bella was again nervous. On the drive there, I could feel the tension that rolled off her in waves. I placed my hand on hers, waiting for her to look at me. There were tears there, in her eyes, but there was also a fierce determination. "You're doing the right thing, love."

She nodded. "I know, but I'm seeing my past ten years of my life from another perspective and it's really fucking with my mind."

"Well you've never been this close with a former subject," I said softly as I pulled my hand from hers. "The emotions involved with my case were very different. And you know exactly what the truth did to me."

"Which leads me to question everything before you," she said as I pulled into the parking lot. We sat there for a few minutes. I had no idea what to say about the doubts she was having, but I had some inclination what those doubts would do to someone like her. The more I thought about it, the more relieved I was that she had decided to seek therapy. I couldn't help her with this, talk her way through this because of my involvement with her.

I took her hand again, while we both looked at the office in front of us. It was plain and nondescript in its simplicity. Where I saw this place as a step toward Bella's recovery and ours, Bella had to have seen as something menacing. There was a part of me that wanted to protect her from this place, of where her mind would have to go once she'd enter.

However, she needed this to really move on.

With a deep sigh and a tight squeeze of her fingers Bella looked at me."I'm ready," she said firmly. I shook my head, because fuck, I wasn't. I took a few deep breaths, Bella's fingers curling tighter around mine. "I'll be okay, Edward."

"We should've gone to the ob first," I said, wondering if it was too late to postpone the session. "I can't bear if something happens to you and the babies."

"If it gets to be too much, I will stop."

"It's not enough."

"You can't go in there with me," she whispered.

"I know."

"But you can sit right outside that door," she said. "I'd like that very much, to know that you're close and will be there the moment I step back out."

"All right," I whispered. With one glance toward the office, I nodded. I looked over to see her face filled with tension. I was only making it worse. "I'd like that, to be close just in case."

She gave me a smile. "Let's go." I hopped out of the car, making my way to her side and helping her out. Leading her with my hand at the small of her back, we walked inside the tiny office.

There were only two chairs and a love seat, along with some potted trees in the simple room. Behind a glass half wall was a little old lady, with large glasses typing away on a keyboard. She smiled as we entered.

Hand-in-hand we walked over. After a minute, Bella was handed a clipboard to gather some information. I watched as Bella filled all the blank areas with her neat cursive writing. "You were born in Arizona. How the heck had that happened?"

"My mom and dad were traveling to see family in Texas when oops, Jordan decided he wanted out."

"Should we be worried?"

"We'll talk to the doctor," she said. "No need to worry yourself."

"It's hard not to. This pregnancy started with complications."

Bella nodded. "Yes, but you can't constantly think the worst. Or at least that's what I'm trying to do."

"Sorry."

"Don't be," she replied, taking my hand. "I know that you're scared, though I'm wondering now if your guilt is a part of this."

"Yes, I think it is. How about we save that for _our_ session later this week?"

"Okay," she said. "But if it's really bothering you, just talk to me."

"I will." She had enough on her plate for the day and so had I. There was no need to add more conflict, and if I knew Bella, she'd feel guilty about me feeling guilty. And that wasn't something she needed at the time.

After a few minutes, Bella returned the paperwork and clipboard to the secretary. "Ms. Swan," the secretary said as she opened a door. "You can come inside now."

Bella sighed deeply and nodded. "Thank you," she said as she rose to her feet. Bella turned and pressed her lips to mine. "Love you."

"Love you, always."

With that said, Bella walked over to the door. "I have to run out to the bank," the secretary at the door said to someone behind her. "Should be back before your next appointment." I heard someone say something behind her as Bella and the secretary met at the door. With a smile, the woman brushed by Bella. "Go on in, dear."

A woman, in her late fifties greeted Bella at the door as the secretary walked out the door Bella and I had came in. She introduced herself, "Samantha Giles, how are you today?"

"Fine, thank you," Bella replied, she looked back at me. "That's Edward Cullen." I stood up and offered my hand. After a firm shake I took my seat again. The woman turned back to Bella.

Bella cleared her throat and offered her hand. "I'm Isabella Swan and I used to break hearts for a living."

The woman's eyebrows rose and she looked back at me, but kept her composure. Something Bella _was_ able to do before, but now she struggled with it. "All right," she said, opening the door further. "Let's talk inside." Bella gave me a small smile and followed the woman, the door closing softly behind them.

~oOo~

Fifty-eight minutes, two chapters on my e-reader and a lot of pacing later, I watched as Bella emerged from behind the door. She gave Ms. Giles a small smile, repeating the time for their next session the following week. When Bella turned to look at me, I could see tears in her eyes. I rose and took her in my arms.

"Tell me what to do," I whispered, kissing her temple. "I hate not knowing what to do."

"This is perfect," she murmured. "Can we get out of here? Maybe take a walk."

"Anything," I replied as I led her out the door. There were little shops and other offices that flanked the building, but across the street was a cluster of trees, benches, and a playground. "Park?"

Bella nodded absently, and I knew then she was lost in her own mind. Perhaps, analyzing the very conversation that had just occurred. Her fingers wrapped around mine as we crossed the street to enter the park. The weather was pleasant, the sun just warming the outer layers of our clothing.

"Are you all right?" I asked, tightening my fingers around hers. She sighed deeply and looked at me.

"I will be," she replied softly. "All I did was talk, she didn't utter one word. I told her I wasn't seeing patients any longer. She only nodded. I've been through therapy when I was younger, after Brianna died. However, I hadn't remembered how it felt to sit on the other side of the couch."

"I've been on both sides of that couch," I murmured. "After I closed your file, I promised myself I wouldn't analyze everything you did."

"You still did."

"Yeah," she whispered. "How can you stand me?"

I sighed, thinking how best to answer. One thing I was sure of, she wasn't close enough. I found a shaded spot under a tree with a bench under it. "Let's sit down."

Bella nodded and sat warily beside me. "I'm not sure I'm ready to hear this."

"I'm going to tell you something that you may already know."

"That makes no sense."

"Think about it, it's in our nature to analyze who you're with. You were new to the whole relationship thing as I was. And I can tell you that I over-analyzed everything from the very beginning. Even now, every move you make I take into account so I don't say or do something that could hurt you."

"All right," she said thoughtfully. "I understand what you're saying, but sometimes it's still hard to comprehend how you can even stand the sight of me."

"That's easy, I fucking love you."

"Still don't see why," she mumbled.

"All this has you doubting my feelings for you?"

She shook her head. "No, what you feel is obvious. I'm just trying to see is why you do."

"That's not easy to answer, because it wasn't just one thing. It was the overall package. All of you. You're not fucking perfect, you never strove to be. And maybe because you don't try to be, it called to me in a way no one else before you ever had."

"I know I'm not. I am far from it. It's impossible to try to achieve perfection when everyone's thoughts on what that idea is, are different. The more I think about, the more I believe that you saw something in me that no one had been able to do. Not even my family."

"I broke through the exterior," I murmured. "Just like you've done with me."

"God, I love you," she said, laying her head on my shoulder. She wrapped an arm around my waist. "We'll get through this, just like we've gotten through everything else."

"Together," I whispered.

~oOo~

We spent the next hour roaming the park and talking of some of the things that been happening at work. I paid for bag of popcorn from a vendor and we walked over to a bench that sat near a small playground. Quietly, Bella and I shared the buttery snack, watching a group of children playing.

Bella sighed and I glanced down to see a beautiful smile on her face. The first genuine one that I'd seen all day. "What is it?" I asked, following her line of sight.

"The little girl with red hair," she said softly, laying her head on my shoulder. "She has the same color of hair as Brianna did when we were that age. Same laugh, too." I watched the redhead laugh as a little girl with long black hair chased her around a swing set.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, giving her a little squeeze. It seemed to be what she needed.

Bella looked up at me. "That's what we used to do, too."

The little girl with red curls turned suddenly to her friend and laughed in the other girl's face. They wrapped their arms around each other and giggled as the fell to the grass. Sun glinted off their matching smiles, their laughter filling the air. Bella and I laughed along with them.

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**AN:** I hope you all understand, that Bella admitting what she did was wrong had to be done. It was the last thing she needed for her to move on.


	40. Tools of the Trade

**Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight – Tools of the Trade**

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**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of its author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media. Copyright infringement is not intended.

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**Betaed by bookishqua/bookgalore**

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**Bella**

I sat back, resting my head. The luxurious leather seat of the limo smelled wonderful. I'd been home for over two weeks, wooed, dined, pampered, and I was ready to scream. Edward hadn't proposed. I was this close to pulling a Monica and asking him myself. Yet, I knew I couldn't go that route, since he had made it clear that he _needed_ to do it right.

Maybe he put off proposing because so much had happened since my return home. After the incident with Angela, it had been a constant blur of appointments, lawyers, and interviews with a dedicated detective. Angela was getting the help she needed.

With my recent epiphany concerning my past, we hardly had much time to ourselves. However, I really wanted to be married before the twins were born, but how could I bring that up without ruining his plans?

The limo driver cleared his throat to get my attention. "Where to, Ms. Swan?"

I smiled, happy that it was finally time to return home. Edward and I had spent the previous night, for the first time, at our new home. As we left the salon's parking lot, I murmured the address to the driver. Music filled the car as we moved into traffic.

Sipping slowly on some sparkling water, I remembered how I ended up in the limo.

"_Why are we up so early again?" I asked. Holding him this way, at six-and-a-half months pregnant proved challenging._

"_Well," he started, smiling down at me. "I thought I could start putting the cribs together." I smiled and nodded happily. The furniture for the twins' room had arrived the previous afternoon. There was still so many things to do, moving was a bitch. "While _you_ go out and just relax."_

_I pouted but it didn't work this time. He only smiled and kissed me briefly. "You said you wanted a haircut and a facial."_

"_I do," I replied. "But I also want to help put the furniture together."_

"_No," he said firmly. "You won't be able to resist lifting and helping in some way. I don't need to be worrying about you while I'm working."_

_I sighed and rolled my eyes. "The doctor said everything is fine."_

"_Yes, I know," he said, grinning wickedly. "That would explain why we can't keep our hands off each other." I laughed as his hands reached around me to give my ass a playful squeeze. "But let's not have you hurting your back by picking up things too heavy for you."_

"_You're right," I said softly. "I wouldn't mind a hair cut anyway."_

_His eyes widened a bit. "You're not cutting too much, right?"_

_This time it was my turn to grin wickedly. "Wouldn't dream of it, considering how much you like to pull it." _

His answering groan had been the reaction I had expected, and one I used to my advantage. After ninety minutes of playing in bed together, a sleek black limo pulled up in front of the house to whisk me away. I'd been thankful that he was thoughtful enough to know that I needed some space and time to myself. If Alice or Rosalie had been in the limo, I would've walked right back into the house.

With Edward's half, my family had grown, and I loved them. Once I returned from tour, family members had been visiting at all hours of the day it seemed. All of them concerned with my health. My blood pressure had been a little high the last time I'd been to see my obstetrician. Which of course had the family treat me like spun glass, it fucking annoyed me. I let it slide since I had to think of our babies' health, not just my own.

It was hardly fair though, considering that Alice was just as pregnant as I was, with my soon-to-be-nephew Logan Kal-el Whitlock. Jasper was a huge Superman fan. She pulled off pregnancy with ease, the lucky bitch. It was a good thing that Jasper had a black belt, poor kid was going to need a teacher and a bodyguard with a name like that.

Rosalie, however, operated in a class all on her own. She'd been irritable and ready to bite anyone's head off the moment someone tried to talk to her. Then she'd do a complete one-eighty and be all sweet and tender at the drop of a hat. Her hormones were all over the place, poor woman, _poor us_.

All of those were reasons I needed to get away for a bit. Edward knew me so well and anticipated my needs, and seeing that warmed my heart. Edward. He'd been my rock since I allowed myself the chance to mourn and come to terms with my past. He held me when I needed it, and stepped back when necessary. I had to admit the dynamic in our relationship had shifted. Though there were times in the past that one had more control than the other did, now we treated each other as equals.

The limo pulled up to the driveway and I cursed the light drizzle that started to fall. As of late, wet walkways had been treacherous. I had fallen the day we had moved in our first things, and Edward had put his foot down on me lifting another thing. I let it go since he kissed my knee, among other things, to make me feel better. His methods of distraction made me forget why I'd been upset. I loved him for it.

Before the limo came to a full stop, Edward was out the front door to offer his assistance. His smile was sweet, my own disappearing as I took in his appearance. Green plaid shirt, a fitted white tee, worn jeans, work boots and a tool belt that hung low on his hips. I had never seen him in the particular outfit before. I suddenly wondered how long it would take me to take everything off, except for the tool belt.

If my man had one of those notorious plumber's crack from the heavy tools, it was only fair to save him the embarrassment and have him go naked. Again, with only the tool belt still hanging low on his hips. The knowing smirk that graced his cocky face had me snapping my mouth shut. The smirky ass knew what he was doing to me.

"Hey, baby," he said as he offered his hand to help me out of the limo. He popped open an umbrella and smiled. "I wouldn't want you to get wet." I cocked an eyebrow at him and he only smiled wider. He bent down to whisper in my ear, "Then again, you probably already are."

I patted his head and shook my own. "If your ego gets any bigger, you won't be able to fit under the umbrella."

He grinned. "It's not my ego that's getting bigger." I snorted as he pulled me close to his side. "I love your hair." Fingers ran soothingly through smooth strands. "You look beautiful." He kissed the tip of my nose and turned his attention to my limo driver to retrieve my bags.

"Thank you," I said. "So what have you been up to?"

"I finished the cribs and changing tables. I still need to hang the curtains in the nursery and your painting in our bedroom."

I bit my lips, purposefully. "May I help?" He immediately shook his head, leading into the mudroom to deposit my things. After tipping my driver, he turned back to me. Before he could protest further, I stopped him. "Let me rephrase. May I supervise?" I hoped he would be willing to play along.

It took a second, but comprehension soon had him smirking. "I'm just a tool. A big, hard tool to you."

"I like using big, hard working tools," I cooed, stroking my hand over his erection discreetly. He growled and pressed his lips on mine in a searing kiss. With a sigh, his lips continued along my neck, his hands finding purchase on my hips. "But first," I said, causing him to groan. "Can I see the room?"

With what seemed like great struggle, he released me long enough to take my hand. His eyes, dark with desire, were on my chest as he jaw twitched. "Fine, but even though I know my _technique_ needs no improvement, I'd love some more hands on experience."

I grinned, loving him for being so corny. "Sure," I said, cocking an eyebrow. "I'll be glad to see how you hang." His head fell back as he laughed, warming my heart. I loved seeing him so carefree again.

After what happened with Angela, Edward had decided to talk to his therapist and discovered much more than he anticipated. At the time, he claimed that he hadn't been bothered by what Angela had done to _him_ only what it would do to me. However, after diving a little more deeply into his past, he compared the incident to many of his previous encounters with women.

More often than not, it was the women that came to him. Most in the same manner than Angela had done. The first time a woman had approached him so brazenly he ran away, he'd only been nineteen, the woman at least ten years his senior. Each subsequent time after the first, he got used to the attention. At the time he found it no big deal, and even found their attention flattering. After that session, he came to realization that they treated him in much the same way he had after he got what he wanted. In the end, being touched without provocation or permission, made him feel cheap.

When he confessed this to me, he made light of the situation and said that he didn't want me to claw someone's eyes out. Since then though, he avoided groups of women or being alone at every function. Though he was still his confident self, he made it clear to others that his cockiness didn't mean they could touch. Why would I argue?

"Let's go see the nursery," he said, brushing his fingertips lightly over my arm. With my fingers in his, our linked hands hovered over his growing erection. He let go, wanting me to make a choice. The ass wanted to play hard to get it seemed. I nodded and accidentally grazed his crotch as I turned away, his response a slow hiss. Lips pressed against my ear as he led me upstairs. "Tease."

"I plan on inspecting all aspects of your work. I needed to check if you were ready for what's coming." His boyish grin lifted his lips at each corner, reaching his handsome eyes.

"How did I get so lucky to find someone as dirty as me?" he asked, seriously.

I laughed and jabbed him with my elbow. "Dirty? I'll have to fine you if there are hazards on the job site. Safety is very important, Mr. Cullen."

"Ah, I see," he said, opening the double doors that led to the nursery.

I sighed as the scent of baby detergent and lilies greeted me. Upon entering the room, a person's eyes were immediately drawn to the picturesque window across from the entry doors. In its current state, it looked out into our expansive backyard. However, it brought in too much early morning light, so Edward and I had decided to outfit it with custom curtains and valance.

On the right side of the room, one of the handsome dark wood cribs stood in front of a rounded niche in the wall. I smiled and ran my fingers over the fine, smooth finish. Tears sprung in my eyes, Edward had even put the bedding together.

Strong hands brushed over my shoulders, his breath fanning across my neck. "Do you like them?"

"They're beautiful, Edward," I whispered, fingering the delicate embroidered flowers on our daughter's quilt. We picked the theme of an enchanted forest for the room. The dark wood of our girls' cribs contrasted nicely against the pale blue and green on the walls. Each crib stood on opposite walls, both with similar niches. One had the depiction of a great forest tree beside a waterfall, harboring all sorts of creatures – real and magical. The other was a meadow and through the trees a castle could be seen in the distance. The cribs looked like little sleds, the bedding like clouds of white, green and pink. Above each one was a round canopy with sweet little fairy mobiles.

Esme had banners fit for a princess with the girls' initials that hung near their cribs. MGC for Madison Grace Cullen and HEC for Hayley Elizabeth Cullen, one in pink the other in a pale purple. I loved it all.

"I love this room," I whispered. Edward hummed his agreement and went to the window. I watched as he bent to grab a cordless drill and the curtain hardware. All thoughts of the room left me. Fuck, he was a beautiful man, one that loved me as I loved him.

I was so preoccupied with checking out his ass, that I hadn't realized he was saying something.

"Earth to Bella," he said, smugly. Damn, I got caught ogling.

"Yes," I said innocently.

"Is it straight?" he asked, amusement lighting up his eyes.

I tilted my head to the side and looked at the curtain rod then his crotch. "No it hangs to the right."

"Ha, ha," He rolled his eyes and asked for me to hand him a laser level. "And it's to the left, babe."

I batted my lashes as I handed him the level. "I was talking about the curtain rod, Edward. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"It's perpetually in the gutter with you around," he said firmly. "So it's entirely your fault that I think with my dick ninety-percent of the day."

"Only ninety," I teased. He raised an eyebrow. "I have a very active imagination, and I can a multi-task. I think about your dick at least ninety-six percent of the day."

He groaned as he hopped off the short ladder and pulled me in his arms. "Are you saying that you have a problem?" I grinned. "We should probably discuss this with our therapist."

I shook my head and laughed. "I don't know, Edward. With the girls coming, you may want to take advantage." This time he smiled widely.

"I plan to," he said and pressed a kiss on my lips. "After I'm done." I pouted, he laughed. Asshole.

"I think you're the one nesting," I said grumpily.

I took a few steps back, and sat in one of the rocking chairs. Thank God we bought two chairs; if the girls woke at the same time, we both could rock them. Edward would be right beside me to help. Not that I doubted it for a second.

I watched as he stepped back onto the ladder, drilling the necessary holes and making the adjustments needed to accommodate the length of the curtains. He pulled up the sleeves of his shirts to his elbow, stretching from time to time. His legs and thighs looked strong in his jeans, which seemed a little more fitted than usual. He had gone back to working out, which he recently restarted again.

It was showing. His muscles were more defined than when I first met him. He tried yoga like I was doing during my pregnancy, but he gave up when he couldn't be in the same room with me bending over all the time. My instructor, a handsome man named Cameron, hadn't helped since he had his eyes set on Edward.

"I can feel you staring," he said, as he set his drill down. He turned and smiled. I shrugged. "I need your help for the next part." I nodded and rose to my feet. He helped me up the four ladder rungs. "I don't really like this idea. The curtains can wait."

I pushed him back and told him to stop being an ass. He grabbed the curtain rod and we hung them, once done he was beside me in seconds. Helping me down the ladder, I swear the man finds any excuse to touch me.

"Edward," I said firmly. "You don't have to baby me so much."

"I can't help it," he grumbled. "Please just let me take care of you." I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"All right," I whispered. "Just remember this applies to after the girls are born, too."

He kissed me softly, palming my ass, as usual. "Of course it applies then and the next sixty or seventy years." I smiled against his lips. "Go take your shower, I'll finish up here and start in the bedroom by the time you're done."

Once I was done, I walked into our bedroom. I almost fainted. Oh my God. I'd died and gone to heaven. I was positive that my heart stopped.

"Oh my," I gasped, my hand on my chest.

"Did you say something, dear?" he asked with his back to me.

Well much more than his back, his thighs, the back of his knees, his ass, were all on display for my eyes to devour. Edward was on a ladder, hanging my painting, in nothing but a tool belt that sat low on his hips.

Holy shit. I pinched myself. "Ow."

I could hear him trying to maintain his composure and not laugh at me. I shook my head to clear up some of the fog that formed in my head. All the blood had already rushed to various parts of my body. Arousal had me at a standstill. Wow. I couldn't stop looking, worse I couldn't decide where my eyes should linger. God, he was gorgeous.

With the unruly heat and sun, Edward skin was more golden than pale. He'd been working with Jasper in the backyard, most of the time shirtless. I should know. I spent most of the time watching from the porch out back.

"Is it straight, baby?" he asked, trying to look back as he held up the frame.

There was two ways I could play this, ask him to turn around so I could check if he was straight up. Or I could torture him a little. Both would end with promising results. I loved when he lost control. I looked toward the bed and noticed that the clothes I had laid out were no longer on it.

He was a naughty one. Torture it was.

I stood a few feet behind him and I could see the goose bumps and the hair on the back of his neck raise. It was something that always happened when I was near him. He was as aware of me as I was of him. His back muscles moved with every heavy breath he took. It was obvious that he was as aroused as I was.

"Move your right down about an inch," I said as my fingers brushed over the backs of his knees. Just my fingertips and it was enough for his breath to hitch, for his body to still. I stepped back again, cocking my head to the right and then to the left. I knew he could see my reflection in one of the mirrored sconces near the painting.

I dropped my towel and ran the tips of my fingers along my throat. "Fuck," he hissed, his shoulders moved up and down as he breathed.

"It's not in the middle," I said breathlessly. "Move it to your left."

"Damn," he mumbled, trying to do as I said. I knew by his verbal vomit of curses that he his resolve was crumbling. My fingers moved over the curve of my breast, circling the peak. "Fuck. Fuck. Damn witch!"

He jumped off the ladder and stalked toward me, stopping a few inches from my reach. I shook my head and continued tracing my nipple. "Something wrong?" I asked sweetly. He growled, watching as my fingers made a path to my other breast.

From the very beginning Edward had been an ass man. Lately, however, he couldn't seem to keep his hands, mouth, teeth and much more off my breasts. The extra sensitivity luckily hadn't bothered me; it only made his ministrations more pleasurable. I hadn't thought it possible.

"Nothing," he groaned. His chest rose and fell harshly; his fists were clenched at his sides. There was a war going on inside his head. A part of him wanted to watch me touch myself, the other to be the one doing the touching.

I looked him over, my eyes drawn to the dark hair that paved the way to my favorite body part of his, besides his heart, of course. A thick dark leather belt hung just below his navel, one pouch on the right carried some hardware and the hammer hung from a loop beneath it. The pouch on the left had a measuring tape and his cell phone. Just below the buckle was his cock. Hard and straight up.

Fuck. I wanted him, so I knew I had to get him to come to me. Fast. I rolled my nipple between my fingers, moaning at the pleasant sensation. He groaned, his eyes glued to my hand. Beads of sweat popped up along his brow, his fingers clenched and unclenched.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked. He shook his head, unable to answer. "Are you thinking about last week?" His breathing came to a halt as he closed his eyes to the memories. "You know the night you fucked my ti—"

The next thing I knew I was on the bed, my legs spread wide, with him between them. He hovered over me, whispered words ghosted over my flushed skin. On my collarbone, the hallow of my throat and finally over a tender tip of my breast. I arched closer, needing more. His hands were everywhere, the undersides of my breasts, over my hips and curling around my ass. He was trying to control himself; he'd been especially gentle lately. I wanted him to let go for once. He wouldn't hurt me, he couldn't.

My fingers curled in his hair, tugging his ear to my lips. "Fuck me," I growled. He groaned, took hold of each of my knees as he stood up by the foot of our bed. Hitching each leg over his hips, he thrust hard, fast and deep in one stroke.

"Fuck," he hissed, stilling deep inside me. "Damn it, Bella. You love to drive me crazy." I moaned, arching, trying to get him to move. Propping myself up on my elbows, my eyes on him. He stood at the foot at the bed, my ass at the very edge of the mattress. Retrain and control was in every muscle that twitched in his jaw and every cord of his neck.

When I sensed his body relax I knew he'd regained a semblance of control he wanted while we were together this way. We'd become very active once the doctor had given us the go ahead, and though we had a few heated encounters, he'd been careful to be extra loving, tender and gentle. I hadn't minded at the time, seeing him dressed in such a way, a fantasy come to life I had to have all of him.

"Thank you for fulfilling another fantasy," I said breathlessly. "I've always wanted a big, strapping man to show me the tools of the trade." He groaned and lifted my thighs higher over his hips and finally pounded away. Fevered need and desire was uttered in every thrust and accompanied grunt from Edward.

His fingers dug into my thighs, his own slapped against my backside with every movement of his body. I cried out when he hit just the right spot. His eyes met mine in a hungry gaze, and then fell on my chest. His tongue moved over his bottom lip, watching every breath I took.

Internally I smiled, he wanted me to touch myself as I had earlier. His eyes moved to my hand as I placed my fingertip in my mouth. Sucking softly, wetting it. His chest rose and fell, heavy and fast in a beautiful display of hunger and power.

"Tease," he groaned ever watchful. Fingertip grazed, teased and circled my peak until it pebbled further. "Fuck." Hiss and grunt, he moved harder and deeper. I cried out, my head falling back, my body trembling. "More." Faster and frantic he delivered thrust after thrust. I moaned and slipped my hand over my hip to between my thighs.

Edward groaned in approval, the predatory gleam in his eyes darkened as my fingers circled and rubbed. In seconds, I exploded and arched. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through me. Several erratic, frantic thrusts, a groan of my name, and Edward came inside me.

Still in a euphoric state of mind, I felt his fingers move over my thighs, and more of his sweet words were whispered against my skin. I hoped he wouldn't regret what we had done.

"Next time," he said, pushing me further up the bed. "Remind me to take off the tool belt." I giggled and pressed my lips to his neck. "I've got leather burn." I felt the brush of the hammer against my thigh as he removed the tool belt and tossed it on the floor. I sighed, thinking of another fantasy he had.

"What is it?" he asked, his fingers running through my hair. I gave him a smile, one that had him cocking an eyebrow in question. When I whispered to him my idea, his fingers curled around my hip tightly. "You'd let me?" I nodded. "When?"

"Our honeymoon."

"We won't be able…" he groaned. He got the message.

~oOo~

Four days later, we were in Esme's backyard. "You can't be serious?" I said, looking at Rosalie.

"Yes," she huffed as she tossed her hair back. "They actually had the nerve to throw one for us together."

"Idiots," Alice hissed. She her purse on the table and wiped at a tear. I sighed. All right, Edward had an excuse; he didn't know any better. But, Jasper and Emmett had known these women for years. How could they think throwing a baby shower for all three of us, at the same time was a good idea?

They must've thought, kill three birds with one stone. Alice and Rosalie had to be thinking the same thing. However, they intended to use a really big stone.

Surrounded by dozens of tittering women, and only a handful that I knew personally, Alice, Rosalie and I sat as the center of attention. I fucking wanted to claw someone's eyes out for putting me in this awkward position. I recognized the loathsome glare from a few of the women. While many were gathered around the buffet table, I sat down at a white round table with a small plate before me.

The decorations were adorable, each table adorned with a centerpiece that the guys had made themselves. They had their hearts in the right place, but Alice and Rosalie were miserable. Me…I didn't give a shit. I didn't know enough people in Seattle, especially women.

Fuck, what does that say about me? Besides family, there weren't many people I could call my friends. Well besides former subjects and their families. Fuck, that shit plagued my mind as of late. And it was definitely something I'd bring up in my next session.

"You look lost," a smooth voice said at my ear. I smiled as his arms wrapped around me, lifting me up with ease to settle himself on my chair. "They're going to get it aren't they?"

I looked to see the serious look on his face, but there was amusement in his eyes. "You weren't a part of this?"

Edward shook his head and chuckled. "I'd been too busy, you know that. They tried to recruit me, but I didn't have time. I think they only included you because they didn't want you to feel left out."

"A woman's first baby shower is very similar in importance to her wedding," I said. He laughed again and agreed. "They'll be fine, I think. Jasper and Emmett were sweet to do a lot of the decorating themselves."

He picked up a strawberry and held it to my lips. "I told them it wasn't a good idea, so I decided to join you and do some damage control." I smiled, nibbling on the sweet, red flesh. The apprehension in his eyes gave him away.

"How many?"

With a sigh, he looked toward the gaggle of women. "A few." He shook his head. "That I remember."

"I can't deal with that shit today," I said firmly. "I can't compare-" His lips met mine in a possessive, heated kiss.

"Don't fucking do that shit, Bella." His eyes were dark, his breaths ragged. "They are nothing to me. Have I given you any reason to believe that I don't want you? Even in your third trimester?"

I shook my head, biting lip. Tears sprung in my eyes and his eyes softened. "That bitch at the company party yesterday put ideas in your head that I won't want you after the girls are born. How could you let that shit bother you? You know I want you, Lacey only wanted to put a wedge between us so she could put another move on me. I told her no several times, even before you came along."

I nodded again, hating that hormones made me self-conscious again. It was something I dealt with as a teenager when I thought no asked me out because I wasn't pretty enough. Instead it was only because of one overprotective brother and friend scared them off.

"Thank you," I whispered, scratching at the light scruff that covered his jaw. "I love you." Taking my face in his hands, he returned the words in a kiss that clearly made everyone near know with whom his heart lay.

We were gathered around a large table, everyone sitting in comfy chairs, playing a baby shower game. Rosalie looked like she wanted to choke her husband. The game, have everyone guess what our current waistlines were.

Someone had handed Emmett the string, he grabbed the end and started to unwind it. And he kept going and going. Rosalie was fuming. Alice was trying not to laugh. Me, I decided to have my finger the 9-1-1 button on my cell phone. When Heidi cut where he indicated, there was at least a full yard worth of string.

Rosalie smiled sweetly, laughing along with everyone else. Personally, I thought Emmett would pay dearly the minute they got home. When it was Jasper's turn, he guessed exactly right. Lucky bastard. When it was Edward's turn, he got up and measured his own waist and took off a few inches. It was totally wrong, but it was sweet of him.

When no one was looking, I took that string and measured the span from the tip of his forefinger to his thumb, then added about an inch. Then I held it up close to his thigh, he got the idea. My man was adorable when he blushed. I was spot on, too.

The guys began the task of setting up the area for us to open presents. I darted inside the house to use the bathroom for what seemed like the tenth time that day. When I finished, I walked toward the kitchen to grab a bottle of cranberry juice. However, when I heard a woman say Edward's name, I paused to overhear.

"He's looking better than ever," a woman said.

"Yes, do you see how he dotes on his sister?" another whispered. "Or his wife?"

Some bitch snickered. "She's not his wife now, and my guess she'll never be." I heard several who agreed, others who didn't. The same woman continued. "Think about it Lisa, the woman is pregnant with his children and there is still no ring on her finger."

"Maybe they're waiting until they're born," someone suggested. "You're just pissed that you never had a chance to sink your claws in him."

"Oh honey," the bitch replied. "You and I both know that a ring on _his _finger won't mean a thing. It never bothered him before."

"Well," another woman started. "I know what I see. And what I see a man completely devoted and in love."

"If and I mean _if_ they do get married, they won't last more than a few years. And it'll be because he cheated on her." I was about to step out and give that whore a piece of my mind, even though I _knew_ it would make things worse.

"Ladies," I heard Esme join them. "They're about to open gifts. Why don't we go back outside?"

They all agreed and soon their voices disappeared. Esme turned the corner where I waited to calm myself down. "How long were you there listening?"

I shook my head and shrugged. "Long enough."

"There are some people that see what I see. That boy loves you truly, Bella. But there are those that are petty people, who are jealous that he found love."

"I wanted to say something," I whispered, wiping at a traitorous tear. "It would've added more fuel to that woman's vitriol." Esme nodded and took me in her arms. "He loves me, I don't doubt that. A part of me never did."

"I know that past couple of months have been hard on you," she murmured, stroking my hair. The warmth and comfort she offered me, made the ache in my heart lessen. I hadn't felt the love of mother in so long. "I've never met a woman as strong as you."

"Not lately."

She laughed and pulled away. "Tears don't make you weak," she said softly. "It's just nature's way to get the sad and mad out." Once I pulled myself together, she led me back to the party before Edward sent out a search party for me.

The moment I stepped into the backyard, Edward appeared beside me in a few seconds. "Are you all right?" I nodded and wrapped my arm around his waist. "If it's too much we can go."

"I'm fine," I said and walked toward the small group.

He scowled. "That answer basically means, not really but let's talk about it later."

With a smile, I pressed my lips against his. "Let's talk later." He could see in my eyes that I wouldn't budge, so he nodded.

I received enough clothes for the girls, that they'd each be able to wear a different outfit every day for at least six months. At least. Insanity. Thankfully, Edward took in stride all the "oohing" and "awing" as he held up each little outfit either against his chest or cheek to check the softness. He was being really good, considering all the estrogen thrown his way.

Edward handed me a white, plainly wrapped box, with no tag. I held it up for inspection, when no one claimed it, I opened it to find a book, _Single Parenting_. I felt Edward's hand clamp on the chair behind me.

On the outside, I laughed and shook my head. "Someone here must think Edward is going to leave me to tend to the children while he slaves away at the office." I laughed again as my insides churned with anger. I placed the book back in the box and put it aside. Without waiting for Edward, I picked out another gift. This time a cute little box in a zebra print wrapping. Fuck, I couldn't believe I was scared to open a gift.

How long would this shit last? We'd been together for over eight months, and yet they still come after me.

Several of the women, including Nessie who had arrived late, exhaled loudly when I showed them two beautiful silver hair brushes. Each engraved with our daughters' initials. I smiled and thanked Barbara, a coworker at Cullen & Cullen Inc.

The next gift however, a How-To book about losing weight after pregnancy, had me clutching my tummy. I had gained twenty-four pounds, which I'd been told was perfectly normal since I carried twins. Everyone told me that I looked the same, only that I seemed to be carrying a basketball under my shirt.

I felt the anger radiate from Edward's fingers as he took my face in his hands. Soft lips pressed against my forehead, when I felt him move to the table behind me. Everyone watched in silence as Edward shifted through all the gifts. Jasper and Emmett helped him, until they found another box without a tag.

No one dared to claim it, as Edward held it up to ask who brought it. Without a reply he tore it open to find an Online Dating for Dummies book, along with membership for a year on Match (dot) com.

Edward looked in the eye of every face, anger charged through and filled the air with tension. His jaw clenched tight, his nostrils flared and his hands shook. Taking the books, he walked over the nearest trash can and dumped them. Under his breath, a slew of curse words left him as he took my hand. I prayed internally that he wouldn't fucking ask me to marry him right then and there only because he wanted to prove a point in front of the women who'd done this.

I couldn't meet anyone eyes, only those of my friends. Nessie, Rosalie, Alice and Heidi seemed to be on the verge of tearing everyone in the vicinity apart. Esme on the other hand, looked straight into the eyes of a platinum blonde who squirmed under her hardened glare.

His hand tugged on mine, until I stood up before him. With a sweeping motion under my knees and a huge smile, he lifted me into his arms.

"Come on, baby," he said lowly. "I think there's a few rooms we still need to christen in _our_ new house." Long strides carried us toward the exit in a few moments.

Laughing, I took his earlobe in my mouth and tugged. "Animal," I said huskily.

"Only with you," he growled and quickened his pace.

A few gasps, a chuckle or two later, I looked over his shoulder to see a few shocked faces. "Thanks everyone," I said brightly. "Let's do lunch soon." Edward snorted.

Damn, I loved this man.

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**AN: Sorry this got away from me, but that means an extra chapter. All right, back to the grindstone with me Toolbeltward is calling ;)**


	41. Finally

**Former Subject: Edward Cullen aka The Recently Reformed Womanizer**

**Chapter Thirty-nine – Finally**

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**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of its author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media. Copyright infringement is not intended.

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**Betaed by: booksglaore/bookishqua**

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**Edward**

I awoke alone in bed the following morning after the disastrous baby shower, Bella's side of the bed felt cold. She'd been waking earlier than usual for the past week.

Though the previous day could've ended in a total meltdown after what had happened at the party, Bella's resilience was a strong as ever. In the past, when faced with such troublesome and vindictive women, she had shown class and integrity by not stooping to their level. I hadn't doubted for a second that if I hadn't interfered she would've grinned through the rest of the party. She wasn't the type to lash out in a jealous rant, anyone else would've taken the opportunity. Rosalie admitted outright that she wouldn't have sat through it.

I admired Bella for holding her head up high, even playing along with my dramatic exit. Though I had worried that once we left the party she'd break down, since she'd been prone to since her pregnancy, she smiled and talked the whole ride home.

Once we arrived, she promptly directed me to the bedroom and showed me how much she appreciated everything I'd done for her. It'd been an unforgettable night, though there had been many of those since she'd come into my life. But the previous night would definitely be in my top ten best nights in my life for a while.

_Come to think of it, all my top ten, Bella had been a part of._

Taking a moment, I allowed myself to breathe. The day was upon me. The day I'd ask the love my life to marry me.

Even though I thought my plans were perfect, a part of me worried that my proposal would overwhelm her. If preparations for it were any indication, the planning had been a constant source of aggravation for the last few weeks, due to all the changes and postponing. I felt somewhat relieved it was finally time. Since the incident of the party, I had worried that Bella would see my proposal as something I cooked up only because of what happened with those women. I hoped that once she saw the amount of preparations it took to accomplish it, she would know that it was planned for a while.

By the end of the evening, Bella would become mine forever.

Stretching my hands over my head, I felt something strange above me. I sat up and turned to see, and instantly regretted it. Fuck, why the hell had she left the handcuffs on the bed? To torture me no doubt, the minx. A delicious shiver ran down my spine as image after image of our previous night went through my mind.

I heard her giggle at the door. "Doesn't take a genius to know what you're groaning about?"

I groaned again, propping myself against the headboard, trying to ignore my reaction to the memories. When I laid my eyes on her, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from grunting like a caveman. This woman, my woman, looked so fucking domestic and hot. Who knew I'd be into that look.

"Fuck, baby, what are you wearing?"

"It's a strapless plaid dress," she said, carrying over a tray filled with breakfast. "Alice had to find me some last minute things to wear when my wardrobe refused to fit me any longer."

"Let me see," I said. I spun my finger around so she'd do the same. She giggled, God I loved that sound. After she safely laid the tray on the nightstand she complied. The dress was dark green color and looked good on her. It hugged her full, beautiful breasts and draped over her tummy. It was shorter than I liked, but that was because I hated other men ogling her sexy legs.

Damn, my hands itched to touch all that skin.

"Fuck, Bella," I groaned. "Turn the other way, I want to see how round your tummy is." She whined a little as she did what I asked, holding her dress taunt over her stomach. It almost looked as if she were holding a bowling ball under her dress. "You are the most beautiful woman on Earth right now. You have no idea what seeing you like this does to me." I reached for her hand, pulling her on the bed.

She blushed, the color tinting her cheeks, neck and likely her chest. Under her dark lashes, I could see something heat up in her gaze. "Show me." Oh, that was a downright challenge.

Taking her hand in mine, keeping a straight face, I put it on me under the sheet draped over my hips. "See, baby, I want you so bad right now."

"Do you really like my dress?" she asked softly, biting her pretty pink bottom lip. I nodded, wondering why she went back to dress. "I do, too. The color is nice, but it's also convenient," she teased. Then she showed me how convenient it was by flipping the top down to expose her chest.

My jaw hit the floor for a second, the expression on her lovely face looked innocent, but the subtle lift of the corner of her mouth indicated her teasing. Instant memories of what the morsels on display tasted like the night before sprang to mind, causing me to pounce on my sexy soon-to-be-bride.

Giggling beneath me, she said, "I swear one peek at my boobs and you're Cavemanward." I growled and promptly kissed her mouth. Despite my lips' preoccupation, she still laughed, but I remedied that with a slow, nipping and kissing circuit along her neck, eliciting a rich moan from her. "I really love when you get all growly."

I grunted my reply to play along, bucking my erection against her. Her laughter made my morning, and it was an excellent start to what I hoped would be an amazing day.

~oOo~

Thankfully, my wonderful family managed to get Bella out of the house and away from me. Not that I wanted her to leave my side, but I needed time to finish the preparations for the evening ahead.

Once I arrived at the club, David put me to work. It was only fair since I had him close down his club for the night. Luckily, it hadn't taken much convincing on my part. He loved Bella like family, and he would do anything to make her happy. Even if it meant that she would be married to someone like me.

Unlike his brother Julian, David still couldn't get over my past. Not that I blamed him, he'd seen firsthand how many woman I'd left the club with.

It was strange to be working alongside Julian, number two in my book. However, there was no animosity between us. Considering the bitter harpies that Bella had been exposed to on many occasions, it was oddly comforting to know that her past ex's – as we're calling them now – only wanted her to be happy.

We learned over the past few weeks, that even though Bella's goal was to have the men from her past fall in love with her, she had feelings for them, too. The emotions involved were harder for her to recognize with the label she had put on the relationship when she first met them. In her own way, after discussing each ex with her therapist, she figured out she had formed emotional attachments to all of them. Thankfully, nowhere near the level of feelings she had for me.

It wasn't something easy for me to hear, but it made me feel a little better about her past. Another startling revelation for her was their emotional attachment to her.

She had said once, that they fell in love with the woman she had become for them, but in reality the real her leaked into the role she played. They loved her, there was no doubt about it to me, however, she still had a hard time grasping that they had indeed fallen in love with _her._

It was true in the way that she said that they fell in love with aspects of her, but not all of her, since she had never allowed herself to be who she really was -until me.

Thank fuck for that. All in all, our couple's therapy, and our individual sessions seemed to help us grow as individuals while strengthening our relationship.

"Hey," Jake said behind me, interrupting my thoughts. "What time are you supposed to pick up the guys at the airport?"

I grinned and shook my head. "Alice volunteered."

"Poor Jasper," he said, laughing. "Of course she did. Have you seen Nessie?"

"Sorry no. She's probably already with Bella." I passed him a speaker and went back for the other one. "Seen the rock you gave her, about time, man."

Jake shrugged. "I almost threw up before I asked, she'd told me no four times already."

I sighed and looked at him. He seemed happier than I'd seen him a while. "Was it really Bella that stopped her?"

He shook his head. "Nah," he scratched his jaw and seemed to think about what he wanted to say. "Nessie knew about my past, seen the damage I'd done to a couple of marriages. Bella was an excuse."

"Well," I smacked his back hard a few times, grinning. He stumbled forward and growled at me. "I'm glad it worked out in the end. It was good of you to keep fighting for her."

"She's worth it."

I nodded and we returned to finish setting the music equipment. A couple of hours later, my aunt and Rosalie made their way to me.

"Her dressing room is all set up in David's office," Rosalie said. "The dress, it's fucking perfect for her."

I smiled, I couldn't wait to see it. When I turned to do just that, Esme captured my arm. "Don't even think about it."

"Why? I helped Alice design it!"

"Doesn't mean you should see it before Bella does," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "Now let's finish with the decorations so you can go pick up your lovely bride to be." I groaned, but reluctantly followed orders, after all I wanted this night to be perfect. That meant I had to do as I was told, at least for the moment.

While Alice and Nessie kept my Bella busy at our house, the rest of my family and I readied the club for the evening ahead. After another hour, everything was ready.

The stage was set, the atmosphere was spot on. The voices of my friends and family mingled with the excitement of the night ahead. I managed to sneak away while my aunt talked with my uncle and Emmett.

Once inside the office, my eyes were drawn to the gown that my sweet cousin Alice designed for my Bella. A little lace, lots of beads and yards of sheer white fabric that would pool around her feet.

A smirk twitched at my lips when my gaze fell on the sexy white and silver heels. It was destined to be one hell of night. If Bella didn't kill me first. Something else twitched in anticipation.

_Let the night begin. _

~oOo~

Trying to remain composed enough to not give away at the nerves that suddenly kept up, I made my way inside my house. Alice had left only a half an hour ago to finish setting up everything while I fetched Bella.

My "excuse" for taking her to the club tonight was an early anniversary dinner for Julian and his wife. We all knew Bella wouldn't miss something as important as that, even if she wasn't feeling up to it. Thankfully, when I'd called earlier, she was in good spirits.

I found her in the living room near the mantle, surprised to find her in tears. That didn't bode well. "Baby?" I questioned as I wrapped my arms around her from behind.

In her hands she held a picture of me as a child, sitting on my father's lap. "You were so handsome," she whispered, shaking her head, but smiling.

"Were?" I teased. She nodded, resting her head against my shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"I can't find my baby pictures," she replied softly. "I checked every box I had Jordan and Jacob bring back from the old house. And Jordan had Julie look everywhere. They haven't been found."

Resting my chin on her shoulder, I said, "I found three albums and a shoe box full of pictures. I sent them to someone I know. They're being scanned and restored as we speak."

She turned to look at me and smiled. "Really?" I nodded and pressed my lips to hers once.

"Jordan knows, but I told him not to tell you. There was a leak in the attic, most of your childhood pictures of you and your brother were ruined."

She stilled, her fingers clutching at my shirt in what I perceived as pain. "But you saved some?"

"Yes, most of them and we called several people that were friends of your parents and found more. Plus we found the negatives."

Her answering smile lit up her tear-stained face. "Thank you!" She threw her arms around me and laid kiss after kiss on my neck and jawline. "We can be a little late to the dinner party, right?"

Instinctively perhaps, I had her in my arms in seconds, making my way to the bedroom. Reason of course intruded and had me slowing.

"Darn your manners," she teased softly, causing havoc on my insides as she nibbled on my ear.

"We shouldn't be late," I reasoned as she continued. "You're being unfair. We still need to get ready."

"Fine," she muttered. "But I reserve the right not to wear underwear." Fuck, it was going to be a long night as well as memorable. When I put her down near our bed, she suggested we take a shower together to save time. Not one to argue, I helped her undress.

While I washed her her, the lights of the bathroom flickered. "You don't think that breaker is still giving us problems, do you?" Bella asked.

"Shouldn't be," I whispered, watching the light above fluctuate. "Emmett double checked everything once the new air conditioner had been installed." We had argued about the new addition for a bit, since the last few Washington summers had been record breakers in terms of weather.

"Hope that it's not the problem," she said, making me forget for a few seconds what we were talking about as her wicked hands roamed. After a moment, I nodded and internally made a note to talk to Emmett later to take a look again. I put it behind me and helped my Bella finish soaping up.

**Bella**

Sweat covered Edward's brow as his eyes turned toward his window. It was considerably dark outside, more so as we left the city behind once it was obvious that our plans had changed. Since we'd left the sanctuary of our home, he'd been a nervous wreck, add the citywide blackout and he'd been agitated.

However, it wasn't until the phone call from Alice that he'd been a freaking nightmare. "Pull the fuck over, Edward," I said as his distant gaze suddenly turned to remorse.

There was no show of hesitation as he pulled into a darkened driveway of a house outside of Seattle. Having escaped the onslaught of angry voices and loud horns from the bumper-to-bumper traffic-filled streets of the city, I turned my attention to Edward.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "And don't pull that bullshit that everything is fine. You said that word to me ten times since we left the house. What is wrong?"

He hit his head against the steering wheel and sighed. "Everything is fucking ruined."

That made no sense what so ever. It was only a dinner. _Or was it? _"Relax, champ," I said. "I'm sure they'll just postpone for tomorrow."

He groaned deeply and hit the steering wheel again, twice. Apparently, postponing seemed to be out of the question. Then I understood. This was so much more than dinner, but how much more I had no clue. It was time to do a little sleuthing, to see if my suspicions were correct.

"In fact, it if David hooked up a generator and they had candles it would actually be a little romantic."

Edward's head jerked up and he immediately exited the car, turning toward me for a second. "Stay in here, I need to make a call."

I watched as he walked to the front of the car, pacing as he made his call. It was kind of him to talk to David, maybe the night could be salvaged after all. Then again, from the nerves I'd seen earlier, his little confession about the night being ruined, and the small box that caused a bulge to appear in his jacket pocket, it wasn't only a dinner he feared was doomed.

I bit back a smile, wondering just what he had in store for me. For the whole day, I'd known something was going on. From the insistence that Alice and I have bunch together, to Nessie's need to sit for almost two hours discussing possible locations for her wedding in eighteen months, and how could I forget the call from Robert Pattinson, an attractive young actor who called to ask if I was still practicing and willing to see him and his girlfriend again. As if the first few therapy sessions weren't awkward enough, but I referred them to someone else anyway.

My morning and afternoon had been busier than it had been in weeks. I wondered if he thought pregnancy made people unobservant. Obviously, he recruited our family to keep me busy. The night he asked me to marry him was finally here. Though it seemed that the citywide blackout, due to the staggering increase of people cooling down their homes, caused by the record breaking temperature the days had been for several days.

Though a trickle of nervousness swept through me, I knew no matter what happened I would become Edward's wife. A part of me hated that his plans had been ruined. I knew how much it meant to him to make his final proposal something special. I hoped that he'd still ask despite the change of plans. Elation had my heart soaring, expanding, and so full of love for this wonderful man who often tried to put my happiness before his own.

The call seemed not to be going well, his agitation clear in his stance and in the way his hand tugged at his hair. Then there was the pacing. With a sigh I exited the car, whatever he had planned, I couldn't stand this any longer. Whatever had happened, it wasn't worth all this aggravation. I had to make that clear, though I had my doubts that he would listen.

"Edward," I whispered softly, my hands slid up his back. The tension in his muscles made me want to soothe away his troubles. Luckily for me, I could still wear a pair of heels this late in my pregnancy so I managed to place a few kisses along his neck.

With a sigh, Edward drew in a deep breath and said into his cell phone, "Do what you can, Ali. Yeah, I'll take care of that before we get there. I know, yes, I know. Love you, too." He slid his phone in his pants pocket and once again inhaled deeply. Then he let go.

One by one each of his muscles relaxed beneath my hands. Those of his back and when I walked around him, his arms, his hands and finally his stance. Taking my hands in his, he sat back on the hood of our car, pulling me in between his legs.

His warm, soft gaze followed the path of his fingers, as the led from my hands and up my arms before his cupped my face. "I'm so sorry. I guess you figured out what was happening tonight."

I shook my head tears already at the cusp of falling. "The how doesn't matter to me."

"You deserved the best," he whispered. "A grand gesture. I haven't had my chance to do that for you."

I smiled, shaking my head. "How about when you destroyed your sim card?" He smiled at the reminder.

"I knew all the numbers by heart. I did it because I just wanted to get in your pants." We laughed because we both knew that at the time, deep inside he had wanted more.

"You didn't take advantage of Drunk Bella" I offered with a smile. He grinned.

"That was will power - not a grand gesture."

"You were the only one to do it. So it counts." He rolled his eyes and remained silent, no doubt waiting for more. "You said that you loved me in front of friends and family at the club."

"That was only honesty."

Damn, he had an excuse for everything. "You carried me when I got tired on the trail back to the hotel." Our first trip to Snoqualmie Falls and the first time we were together.

"Again, that was for purely selfish reasons. It would've been bad if you were too tired to make love all night."

"The day you came to get me from the hospital when everyone else had given up on me."

His eyes softened further, his hand on my cheek rubbed away the tear that fell. "What I'd done, my leaving you, the Gala, completely cancels that out."

"Not to me." But I knew he'd see it that way no matter what I said. "You handled those harpies at the baby shower."

He shrugged. "I wouldn't have had to if it weren't for me. And I did that because I love you and I couldn't stand to see you hurt." With a small kiss and another wipe of my cheek, he murmured, "Ran out of gestures, huh?"

I sniffled a bit. "You love me."

"Hell yes, I do." He smiled and kissed me again. "So much, Bella. Don't you see why I had to do this big!" He opened his arms wide, gesturing how big he meant. Taking his face in my hands, it was my turn to wipe at the lingering tears in his eyes. It was obvious that this meant so much to him.

"Tell me about it."

"I had this whole mix melody of songs, about us, about our relationship. Some were going to be performed by me, friends of ours and family. I had a stage erected and the song pre-recorded."

I grinned. "What was the first song?"

He snickered, dropping his head on my shoulder. "Womanizer by Britney Spears, of course."

I giggled. "Who was doing that?"

"I thought for old times' sake I'd piss off Jacob, so Nessie was going to do it." When I smiled and shook my head, he continued. "She was looking forward to it, too."

"I'm sure she was." I caressed his face and slid my hands down to his chest, unable to help myself. His little smirk told me he could easily read my mind. Stupid hormones. I rolled my eyes and asked him to continue.

"Then I was going to perform a part of Enrique Iglesias's new song, but the explicit version." Confused, I shrugged since I had no idea what song he mentioned. "_Nobody's ever made me feel the way that you do. You know my motivation, given my reputation. Please excuse me I don't mean to be rude. But tonight I'm fucking you."_

I laughed and smacked his shoulder, especially as his hands had worked their way to my backside. "What can I say," he said, still laughing. "At the time my only concern was getting inside you." I moaned softly, his words hot and breathless against my ear.

"We would've never made it past that song," I said softly, knowing he knew exactly what I meant. If I had given to Edward's advances that early in our relationship, we may not have been together at that moment.

"Maybe, but I don't think you would've been so easily forgotten. But you chose to make me work for it," he said, emphasizing work. "But you teased me too, with your _Future, Sex, Love, Sound._" Pressing a kiss below my ear, he continued. "I worked for hours on the dance moves for that song." Damn, I would've wanted to see that. Knowing me better than anyone, he added, "I'll have to do that for you later, in the privacy of our home." I moaned softly, I had a thing for dancing, singing Edward. The cocky ass knew it, too.

"That would bring us to the next stage of our relationship," I murmured, wrapping my arms around his waist as best as I could.

"Denial," he sang. "_I'm not in love, so don't forget it._"

"You were really going to perform that?" With a shrug he smiled. "Okay, I'm guessing the next song isn't much better than Tonight I'm Fucking You."

He had the decency to look abashed and bit his lip shyly. "Animals, by Nickelback," he murmured. When I laughed, he exhaled at my reaction and joined me. "Then Nessie was supposed to sing a few lines of Britney's other song Toxic."

His smile fell, the pain associated with the time that one of his ex's poisoned one of my drinks, swam in his eyes and in the frown that graced his lips. However, he didn't dwell on it for long.

"Then Jordan and I were going to sing a little of Sorry by Buckcherry, following that I hoped that I could convince you to sing with me." I smiled, trying to coax one from him. "I Need You." His lips pressed onto my own, lingering there for a few quite moments.

"I need you so much, Bella." Desperation, love, and fear filled his voice. It was the same emotions that had him scared when thought I'd been shot by Daniel. "I couldn't find it in my heart to find any song that could match the devastation I felt when I left you after the Gala. So I wanted to move on with the song that clearly stated that despite my imperfections, the things that I'd done to hurt you, that you were the reason for my being and for the changes within me."

Again, the tears that filled his eyes allowed me to see the sorrow he had felt and still did. It had been months since all that happened, and he had yet to forgive himself completely. As I felt the same way about not telling him the truth sooner. If I had, maybe there never would've been a separation as the one we had painfully endured.

However, that time apart had allowed us to come to terms with our pasts and made us determined to be together. It helped us form the unbreakable bond, even though the time apart had been painful, but in that pain, we both realized that we couldn't be without the other.

"Jordan and Donnie had flown in to help me with the next song," he whispered, humming a familiar tune. "Despite the pain and the drama of our lives one thing remained true." He kissed me softly, slowly before continuing. "_I'm not the kind of guy who take a broken heart._" I gasped and swooned, making him falter his song, but he sang some more. "_I'll be loving you forever._"

"But," he paused and smirked. "I knew I wouldn't have been able to hit the high note, so Jordan would've taken over. I laughed and pressed kisses all over his face. He grasped my hands and cocked an eyebrow. "You're making it _hard _to continue."

It was my turn to smile coyly and whisper an apology. I wasn't sorry at all. He stood up and sat me down on the hood, which was still warm. "Let me grab something." Moving quickly, he made his way to the trunk of the car and grabbed a guitar.

I had no idea he played. "I had to learn to play while were gone on tour," he said. "Jasper and Rob helped me. Thankfully, I only needed to learn a few chords for the last song."

I watched as his fingers curled around the neck of the acoustic guitar. He stood in front of me, resting one foot on the tire of our car, propping the instrument on his thigh. I bit my lip, he looked so beautiful as he strummed a few notes, made some adjustments to the strings and cleared his throat a few times.

He was nervous and stalling. Slowly, I placed my hand on his cheek and pressed my lips to his. "No matter how you asked me the answer would always be the same. I love you."

"I love you, baby," he whispered. "But I'm going for speechless, after all that's what I promised you." Referring to the time when we visited his California beach house, where he had planned to ask me to marry him, but the secret between us had thwarted his plans.

The silence around us amplified the few notes and taps on the guitar. The full moon that shined above, had become the spotlight on the most perfect man for me. Tears formed in my eyes, wiping them as they fell. It was my lullaby.

His voice quivered, watching me as he sang.

**Edward**

Tear after tear fell from her warm, dark eyes as I stared at her and put all the love I had for her in my notes and in her song. I barely managed to stop myself from chocking on some of the words as I sang. The lyrics had finally come to me one morning as I watched her sleep.

I sang about the depth of her eyes, the flow of her hair, and the beat of her heart. There were words of what it felt like to have her in my arms, about the love I had for her and what it felt like to be loved by her. With every tear that fell from her beautiful eyes, the more harder it was to continue.

The chorus was simple, words of how much I loved her fell from my lips in a softer tone than the verse. Her eyes closed for a moment, a sweet sigh escaped her. Upon their opening, I could see the smile that reached her eyes, a tiny sway of her body.

As I approached the end, the song from my lips grew louder as my confidence grew. There was nothing to fear, the beautiful woman before me loved me in the same capacity that I loved her. Fingers, soft and warm curled around my cheek, not only listening to words of my song, but feeling the movement of them. The tips of her fingers wiped at a wayward tear upon my cheek, a watery smile she gave me then.

"The three letter word for my happiness is you and only you. You're a dream come true. The love you bring me, given me makes me stronger, now all I need a promise for longer. You are my everything, even the heart that beats within me. Will you marry me today? And promise to love me every day?"

As the song ended, I could see as she tortured her lip between her teeth. Sliding the guitar to lay across my back, I held out the ring, taking her hand in my own. The silence around us made me aware how silent she'd become. When I cocked an eyebrow in question, she grinned mischievously and laughed.

"You were going for speechless," she whispered. Then she launched herself at me. Grinning, I wrapped my arms around her. "Is that a yes?" I asked, my mouth against the soft-scented curve of her neck as I crushed her to me. She nodded, sniffling and still crying.

I slipped my phone from my pocket and pressed a few keys. "She said yes!" I cried into my phone. She squeezed me tighter, as our family and friends hooted and hollered on the other end of the phone. Bella laughed and shook her head as I hung up, since there were questions about the how and where.

Bella tensed when someone started to clap behind us. We both turned to see an old man with a cane. "Happy to see that it all worked out," he said gruffly. He eyeballed Bella's tummy, and grunted. "See that the boy's a little late on the asking." I fucking blushed at his teasing. "Move your car before you start celebrating. I gotta go see the grand kids now."

We apologized to him and moved quickly to the car. Once inside, Bella and I started to laugh. After a minute, I pulled on the road and took her hand in mine. "Come on, everybody is waiting for us."

"It's going to take at least an hour to get there," she said softly. It was true, the moment we hit the city the traffic would be bumper to bumper due to the blackout. "Can't we go home and celebrate." Her hand in mine settled on my thigh. I groaned and shook my head. The woman had me by the balls whenever she talked in that throaty whisper.

"Sorry, baby," I said, smiling. "I promised everybody we'd be there once I asked you."

She rolled her eyes, rubbing my thigh, climbing higher. "My ring is beautiful," she whispered, watching as her ringed-fingered hand slid up my thigh. The woman was certifiably evil.

"I wanted something different for you," I said, taking her wandering hand in mine. She pouted as I brought it to my lips to kiss the tips of her fingers. "Plus, you know how much I love the color blue on you."

**Bella**

After we arrived in the city several minutes later, we were stuck in terrible traffic. A chime came from Edward's jacket pocket, and when he answered the text he laughed. "Alice said that I'll get a traffic ticket if I let you take advantage of me and if we don't get our butts at the club she'd hunt us down."

"She said all that in a text?" I laughed and he handed me his phone.

_Road head = ticket. Get here now or I'm going hunting. _

"You edited."

"I didn't want you to get any ideas," he said, laughing. "Not that its achievable in your third trimester."

"Oh that's a challenge that I'd be willing to partake in," I said coyly. He groaned and shook his head. The hand that curled around the steering wheel tightened. Innocently, I batted my lashes and bit my lip.

His eyes widened. "Don't even think about it."

"I thought about it," I replied. "But you're right, it would be rude for us not to meet up with everyone at the club. It was kind of sweet that you originally planned for them to be a part of the proposal."

He shrugged and looked thoughtful. "They pushed us together, they were a part of the reason we were together now and not later. Though their approach was less than favorable, they're influence brought us closer. Not to mention their own relationships inspired me to try to work things out with you. I saw how happy they were, and I wanted the same thing, though at the time I had tried to deny it."

I wanted to be honest with him always, and at that moment I knew I had to tell him. "I'm glad it was just the two of us."

His eyes snapped to mine, his brow furrowing. "What? Why?"

"For the same reason you wanted our family to be a part of the proposal. They were there, pulling the strings of our relationship from the very beginning until we'd taken over. This...your proposal and my answer should be ours and only ours."

Returning his eyes to the road, he looked thoughtful for several tense moments. A grin lifted the corners of his mouth in a breathtaking smile. "You're absolutely right."

"Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed your original idea," I clarified.

His smile widened and he wiggled his eyebrows. "You only wanted me to strut my stuff on stage." When I confessed that was exactly what I wanted he added, "Don't you worry, love," he patted my thigh, "I'll give you private show."

We laughed and held hands again, as he told me about the ring and the reason why he bought one. Though there was a negative memory with the heirloom ring, I made it clear that it would be something I wore from time to time. It was important to his family, to his mother, so it would be as significant to me, too.

Another text alerted Edward and he answered it secretly, not telling me about the contents of Alice's text. As we neared the club, Edward's fidgeting increased. I groaned internally, there was more to this surprise.

"The traffic is ridiculous," I muttered. "If one more person flips you off I'm going to bite their heads off."

"Road rage in exchange for road head," he said, grinning. "Nice." I rolled my eyes and sang softly to the music, trying to ignore the loud horns from nearby cars.

Several minutes later, Edward squeezed my hand. "You know I love you, right?" he said suddenly. I nodded, confused by the question and the timing. "How soon would you like to get married?"

"Well," I said thoughtfully. "I'd like to be married as soon possible, but nothing big. Then I thought that next year we can renew our vows in the meadow with everybody."

He exhaled and smiled. "Wow, we really do think a lot alike. That's exactly what I had in mind."

"Good," I said, smiling widely. "Our daughters will hopefully be walking by then, they could be our flower girls."

Edward sighed and laughed. "That's one hell of an image."

I rested my head back on the seat and looked at him. "Isn't it?" The tips of my fingers brushed the side of his face. "Any regrets?"

He shrugged. "Some, but that's only because of the pain we've been through. But no matter the path, the obstacles it took to get us here, I'd do again if it meant it was the only way to be with you."

I smiled and nodded in agreement. Traffic seemed to lessen as we pulled onto the street where the club was located. The moment we drove up to the curb, Alice and Esme quickly opened my door, pulling me out immediately. I looked back to Edward who was just as swiftly accosted by Carlisle and Emmett.

What the hell was going on?

Thrust inside the side entrance of the club, Alice led me into a room that usually served as David's office. Rosalie stood in front of a small vanity with a lethal looking curling iron and a look that clearly said, "Don't fuck with me, Bella."

_I'm going to kill him._

"She's figured it out," Esme said firmly. "Hurry before she protests."

I growled as she pulled my dress over my head. Alice gently pushed me into a chair. "Her makeup is perfect, good thing she wore waterproof mascara. I only need to add a little more lipstick, fucking Edward must've kissed it off."

"I really hate that you're talking about me as if I'm not in the room."

"Rosalie, did you hear something?" Alice asked innocently. Bitch.

"Add some more powder around her eyes," Rosalie said, ignoring my look. She pulled the clip from my hair and started to curl it. "The bitch has awesome hair, shouldn't take me more than a few minutes."

"The sides need to go up since the dress is strapless," Alice chimed in.

"May I at least see the damn thing?" I grumbled, crossing my arms across my naked chest.

Alice rolled her eyes and nodded. "Edward and I designed it."

In the mirror in front of me I could see Esme, holding up the dress. I sighed, it really was beautiful, white and iridescent beads along the top of the strapless gown. Of course it was strapless. Edward had no clue how hard it was to contain the damn things.

Alice read my mind and offered, "He insisted."

"It's beautiful," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. Alice, Rosalie and Esme seemed to be shocked by my reaction. "There's no reason to be mad, it's what I want anyway."

They all blew a breath of relief. "Thank fuck," Rosalie stated. "If I had to tie and gag you while we helped get you ready I would've."

I laughed. "Thanks for helping him," I said. Esme wrapped her arms around my shoulders after placing a robe around me.

"We love you both so much, sweetheart," she said, pressing a kiss on my temple. "You have no idea how long he's waited for you."

Rubbing my fingers across the arm around my neck, I smiled. "I've been waiting for him, too."

"Fucking twat," Rosalie said, sniffling. "Don't fucking make me cry." She looked radiant in a green flowing dress that fell just past her knees. It took a moment for me to realize that the three ladies with me were wearing matching color dresses.

Alice giggled at Rosalie's revolving door hormones and returned her attention to me. "Pucker up, babe," she purred.

I grinned and cocked an eyebrow. "Have you changed orientation recently? I'm practically a married woman, Alice. This is all so sudden." She rolled her eyes and pinched my breast! We laughed and I allowed them to take over and within twenty minutes I was ready to marry the man I loved and would love until the end of time.

_But I'm still pissed he pulled this off without telling me!_

Though the club was running on minimal power thanks to the generator, in the hallway, candlelight lit the path to a side entrance onto the dance floor. I recognized a figure, waiting there for me. With a gentle hug from Esme, Alice and Rosalie, they left me alone with my bother.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

Jordan shook his head. "It hurts to give you away."

I laughed. "You knew this day was coming."

He nodded thoughtfully and took my hand in his own. It engulfed mine easily, but he was so gentle as he squeezed my fingers. "From the day I met him, I knew this day would come."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he whispered, he caught the look I'd given him. Worried that he was hurting from trying to stay standing, I tried to keep my concern from my features. He saw right through me. "I'm fine. I want to walk my sister down the aisle. I'd been preparing and working hard to do this ever since Edward asked permission for your hand."

I laughed. "He asked?" He nodded and laughed with me.

"The poor guy looked nervous and fumbled through it. It was the first time that cocky, smart-ass broke out in a sweat because of me." Jordan smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. "It was so much fun to see him squirm."

I slapped his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Easy there, sis. I don't want my nieces to wake up during the ceremony." Someone called out to him and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "It's time, B." I nodded and held back the tears, it felt like I'd been doing that all day.

I wobbled a bit as I pulled away from him. _He_ steadied me and whispered, "I think it's time that you lean on me for a while. I'm here for you, to support you and your family." A traitorous tear fell and I smiled as he wiped it away. "You ready?"

When I nodded he took my hand and led through his arm. Slowly we walked around the corner and I gasped at the scene before me. Candles were on every surface of the room, and along the aisle between a few rows of chairs. There family and friends smiled as my brother and I walked in side by side.

At the end of the flower petal trail was the love my life. I glowered, causing him to only shrug and laugh. His laughter led to a beautiful smile, as he tried so hard to keep his tears at bay. My own refusing to be contained, my happiness overwhelming me for a moment.

Dressed in a handsome tux, I was about to marry the man that changed my life for the better. Who could ask for more.

**Edward**

From the end of aisle, I watched the play of emotions on her face. Though she was initially upset about the instant surprise wedding, I could see that the happiness seep out of her. Tear after tear fell from her eyes, and I knew that by the time I took her hand in mine, I would lose the battle to contain my own.

She looked so beautiful in the dress, radiant in her happiness and the glow of motherhood. Proud as she looked upon Jordan who walked beside her. She looked at the crowd that come to bear witness, their smiling faces and the candlelight made this all the more special.

When her attention returned to me, our relationship flashed before my eyes. From the initial and undeniable passion that grew to love, the pain and the work to make everything what it was now, and to the future I dreamt of since I realized I loved her. She was my lover, my best friend and the mother of my children.

As Jordan laid her hand in mine, I smiled at the incredible woman who I loved with all my heart and soul. The tears had finally won the battle I'd been destined to lose since the moment she agreed to marry me.

She'd been the woman hired to break my heart. Instead, she filled it with everything I'd been missing. She was my life and in a few moments she'd be my wife. I was no longer Edward Cullen, aka The Womanizer. I was Edward Cullen, lover, friend, father and husband to be.

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**AN: Only the epilogue left, so stay tuned for that. Make sure to add the alert for Tantra Chair Adventures - where I'll be posting a few outtakes as I write them. **

**I'd like to thank all of you that have stuck with me throughout this story. The pre-readers, those that listened to all my ideas and called me on my shit when I felt I couldn't write for crap. Those that whipped me into working on this story, ObsessingOverEdward, kyla713, booksgalore/bookishqua, and Vanessa, whom without their encouragement this would still be in my head instead on the computer screen. **

**Thanks to all my readers who made my day with every word of encouragement. You all are the best! **


	42. Epilogue Part One

**Former Subject: Edward Cullen aka Recently Reformed Womanizer**

**Epilogue Part One**

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**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of its author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media. Copyright infringement is not intended.

**Betaed by: booksglaore/bookishqua**

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_**Thirteen months later**_

Sunlight bathed my face, warming me. A smile twitched up at the corners of my mouth when I heard her. "Da, da."

It was impossible for her to climb on the bed, not for the lack of trying, so I peeked over the edge to find her beautiful little face. Upon it was an unmistakable smile. She giggled when her eyes met mine, tapping the bed excitingly. "Da, da."

She turned toward the bedroom door, as if waiting for someone. It was then, that I noticed she was almost as naked as the day she was born, clad only in a designer diaper and a headband. When her sister Hayley appeared, she fell on her rump and crawled over to her. Hayley giggled as she pulled herself up onto her feet, using the doorjamb for assistance.

Once Madison joined her, they launched into their own language, filled with cooing, giggles, gurgles and words only the other could understand. I loved to watch them when they conversed. It was obvious that they understood each other and every time I was in awe of it.

I hopped out of bed, walking toward them. Thankful for the insight to throw on a pair of sleep pants earlier, I kept my ears open for where Bella could be. The girls usually awoke around seven in the morning, and my wife had the habit of allowing me to get some extra sleep.

However, I didn't mind the early mornings much. Especially while on vacation for the next few months. We'd been staying at my mother's childhood home for the past week, the renovations and restoring had been done since the previous month.

Downstairs I could hear the bustle of my family; no doubt the time crunch for the upcoming event had everyone wired. Though I looked forward to renewing our vows, I'd be lying if I said nervousness hadn't taken over.

It wasn't walking to the end of aisle, or even the people that would be in attendance. No, it was the fact that my two girls were walking down the aisle, too. Would they cry or become embarrassed when a everyone turns to watch them? Would Hayley, with her shy demeanor, run away as she had from her cousins? Would Madi, sensing her sister's distress, run after her?

Though not identical twins, they were similar in looks around their faces. Madi, short for Madison, looked like her mother. With dark unruly curls that framed her face, with matching eyes and rosebud lips. Hayley on the other hand, had light blond and red hair, much like me at her age, with green eyes.

When they were born that treacherous day, Madi in the streets of Seattle, Hayley by emergency c-section almost an hour later, they both had dark hair atop their little heads and blue-grey eyes. Less than a month later the differences were clear when their eyes started to take in their natural color.

Damn, I loved them from the moment I felt their little fingers wrapped around my pinkie. I had never known that someone could love so fully, so easily. Not until Bella had entered my life. Would I have loved so wholly if it hadn't been for her?

I watched my favorite form of entertainment as of late, Hayley pointed to Madi's headband and babbled. It almost seemed if she offered her opinion on the color. Then proceeded to show Madi the barrette hidden amongst her curls. Madi giggled and shook her head, cooing.

I grabbed a t-shirt from the nearby drawer and Hayley called me. I turned to see Madi giggle passionately, and then Hayley returned her attention back to her sister, joining her laughter. I had a feeling they were laughing at me. I mockingly glared at them and their eyes widened and instantly they both sat on their butts and crawled away, giggling like crazy.

"I'm coming to get you!" I ran around the corner to find them waiting for me, the moment our eyes met they scurried away again. "Daddy's going to get you." They laughed and shook their little heads as they both took off down the hall, calling out for help.

Once within reach, I grabbed Hayley around her tiny waist and lifted her in my arms. Madi, being the protector of the two, stood her ground, looking at me as if we were in the middle of a street at high noon. I would've laughed if it weren't for the fact that she charged me!

Laughing, Bella came up from behind Madi and picked her up, our little girl squealing in surprise. "I'd watch out if I were you," Bella said firmly. "You know the last time she hit the wall."

I nodded, capturing my daughter as she launched herself from her mother's arms. "My little daredevil," I said, placing a kiss on her soft cheek. She patted the side of my face with a tiny hand, a little harder than normally. She pointed at Hayley and her face fell into a more serious look, as if she wondered my intentions with her sister. "I was only going to kiss her."

That seemed to placate Madi enough that she stopped squirming in my arms. She thrust her thumb in her mouth and laid her head against my shoulder, sighing, content. I chanced a glance at Hayley, who watched her sister with interest. Then my daughter proceeded to suck on her thumb and copy her big sister.

Bella laughed softly, rubbing their backs. "They've been up since Alice and Logan arrived at five this morning. They have to be exhausted." I smiled, puckering my lips for a kiss. She rolled her eyes, but before she could respond to my silent request, Hayley pressed her tiny mouth at the corner of mine.

"Well there you go," Bella said, laughing as she made her way down the hall. "You're morning kiss."

"Brat," I hissed, watching the enticing sway of her hips. "Just wait until I get my hands on you tonight."

She looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Can't wait," she said, licking her bottom lip. Fuck, she knew that shit drove me insane. I shook my head and walked toward the nursery once I realized that the girls had fallen asleep.

After placing them in their cribs, I watched for a few moments, reminiscing back to the day they came into this world.

_Bella had been up since dawn, in the middle of closing a deal for a project for New Beginnings and on the way to the groundbreaking of the second shelter in her thirty-sixth week. Unable to accompany Bella, Alice and Emmett had joined her, leaving my office building in a limo._

_On the way to the shelter's property, Bella had called to tell me that they were stuck in traffic and would be late. Thankfully, Esme had been in town and was able to stall, however, it was when Emmett called, that I knew something had happened._

"_Dude," he said, almost breathless. Something was wrong. The moment I heard his voice, I walked out of my meeting despite my client's protests. "Her water fucking broke!"_

_I snapped my fingers, looking at my PA, she had seen the stricken look on my face and immediately called for my car. "How is she? Did you call an ambulance?"_

"_God damn it!" I heard Bella screech in the background. "Get the fuck off the phone and help me, Em!" Then I heard her scream bloody fucking murder, cursing my brother and me. "I told you not to call him. Go down the street and see if anyone else in this gridlock is a nurse or doctor."_

_Damn, even in that type of situation she had her head together. "I better go and do what she says," Emmett said. "Before she breaks my finger."_

"_I'll show you a broken finger!"_

_I heard a deep muffled curse, a little whimper before he returned to the phone. "She flipped me off with my own finger, bro."_

"_Damn it, Emmett. Quick fucking around and do what she asked. Let me talk to her." I ignored the elevators when I realized that they were both on the bottom floor. I made my way for the stairs, making quick work of them until I reached the twelfth floor. Once there I called for the elevator._

"_Rosalie is going to castrate me when she goes into labor," he grumbled. "Here's Miss Screams A -"_

"_I swear you finish that sentence I'll kick you where it hurts!" I heard Bella take a few deep breaths. "Hi, baby."_

"_I knew you should've stayed home," I said angrily._

"_Don't start with me, Edward," she spat. "I'd been stuck at home to edit for weeks. I needed to get out. Unfortunately your daughters and I are on the same wavelength."_

"_Can the limo make it to the hospital?"_

"_No," she said, cursing softly before she continued. "It's bumper to bumper."_

"_How close are the contractions?" Once outside, I checked my watched and realized that the traffic was terrible down my street. Fuck! The road construction two blocks over must have hit a power line, no wonder Bella was stuck._

"_Five minutes apart," she said softly. "Edward, I don't want to have a baby in the back of a limo."_

"_I know," I replied. "I'll get there as fast as I can."_

"_Hurry," she said. After she gave me her location, she passed the phone to Alice._

"_The ambulance is going to have trouble, too," Alice whispered. "I'm on the other line with a 911 operator. She'll try to walk me through the steps. But I don't think I can do this."_

"_You can," I said firmly. "You know Bella would if the situation was reversed."_

"_Yeah, but the bitch isn't scared of shit." I winced, choosing not to respond. "Damn, I'm sorry. Of course she would be scared with the blood."Bella had a relapse the previous month when I had accidently cut my hand while fooling out with my tools._

"_I know. Don't worry about it. I know you're scared, hopefully Emmett can find someone."_

"_Oh God," Bella screamed. "What the hell is he doing with a bullhorn?"_

_I cringed at the thought of Emmett armed with one of those. "The ambulance, Alice." I said, hoping to get her attention back. "What's the ETA?"_

"_They said ten minutes," she answered. "But I doubt it. Edward, I have to go, another contraction is about to hit." Sure enough, before she hung up, I heard Bella crying out in pain._

_Fucking hell. I checked the street, unable to find my car. Even if I'd found it, the chances of getting there soon was unlikely. Cursing, I checked with the security guard of our office building, asking if he had a bike. Luckily, someone had one they were willing for me to buy. Asshole. After removing my jacket and tie, I was riding the traffic filled streets toward my wife._

_It was almost one hundred two degrees in July, and bright. By the time I made it three blocks I was drenched in sweat. Passing cursing strangers, I made it to the cross street Bella had indicated, but there was no sign of a fucking ambulance. I turned onto the next street and saw the limo in the distance. Emmett stood beside it, holding on as if he was ready to pass out. That couldn't be good. I pumped my legs to peddle faster and made it to him, almost clipping an innocent pedestrian to get to the limo._

"_Emmett," I gasped, coming to a stop and jumping off the bike. It clanked heavily on the asphalt behind me. "Tell me you found someone to help her._

_He grasped my shoulder. "She broke my finger," he said in agony, holding it up for inspection. "If that little thing did that, Rosalie is going to crush me." I shoved off his hand and grabbed him by the shoulders._

"_Emmett, pull yourself together. Did you find someone?" I heard a piercing cry from within the dark car. "Bella!" I pushed Emmett aside and made my way around to the open door. Alice had my beautiful wife's head on her lap, keeping her hair from falling into her eyes and whispered to help calm her. _

_Kneeling between my wife spread legs was a young man whose head was stuck beneath what looked like a picnic tablecloth. It was then that I noticed that there were people gathering outside of the limo._

"_Bella," I gasped, reaching for her hand. When her clammy fingers clutched at mine, I almost buckled from the pain that etched across her face. Fuck, I hated seeing her like that._

"_You the husband," the man said. "She's almost ready to push. Never seen anyone move through labor that quickly."_

"_Get me on the sidewalk or something. I do not want to give birth to our daughters in a limo!" She met my eyes and I could see that she was dead serious._

"_I don't see how the sidewalk would be any better," I replied, climbing all the way inside. "And there's less of a chance of making it on the news at noon."_

_She groaned, tightening her fingers. "Please."_

_I looked at the man who had his hands on my wife's privates. "Please tell me you're a doctor," I said, narrowing my eyes._

_He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Resident at Mercy's, names Richard." The fact that he looked as if he rolled out of bed, and about six years younger than me hadn't helped._

"_Oh my God," Bella growled. "You're jealous caveman tendencies need to step outside if you're planning me touching you in the next century!"_

_I pouted which seemed to step up her curses, then she screamed as the contraction hit. Shit, Emmett wasn't kidding. She probably had broken his finger. "Is it safe to move her?" I asked Richard. He shook his head as he checked Bella. "Breathe, baby." She nodded, her eyes locked on mine. We went through the breathing exercises that we learned at last week's Lamaze class._

_I knelt beside her, pressing my lips to her forehead. With her more focused on her breathing and me she seemed to ride the contraction much easier than her last one. Alice rubbed my shoulder, giving me the support I needed._

_I gave her a small smile. "How are you?" I asked softly, watching as Bella closed her eyes, taking the time to rest. Alice smiled and shrugged._

_The wail of an ambulance could be heard in the distance. "They're almost here," Richard said. "She'll be ready to push soon." He looked at Bella and smiled. "I hope you won't object giving birth in the back of an ambulance." Richard glanced at his watch, then out the back window._

_I followed his gaze and realized that she'd have another contraction by the time the ambulance made it through the traffic that surrounded the limo. "It's not going to get here on time. Can we carry her toward it?"_

"_It's not safe."_

_Emmett's face suddenly appeared, as light filtered in from the open car door. "I see the ambulance," he said breathlessly. "I'm going to go meet them, have them bring the stretcher."_

_I nodded as Bella's fingers clutched around mine. "Baby," I whispered. "They'll get here."_

_After a tense moment, Bella relented after finally realizing that moving her wasn't an option. I understood her fear. Renee, her mother, had given birth to Jordan in the back of her father's cruiser. Besides being premature, they had almost lost Bella before she'd been delivered._

"_It'll be fine, love." With her hand still in mine, I brought it to my lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. She gave me a small smile, gliding her fingers over my lip._

"_I love you," she said softly. A burst of commotion could easily be heard from outside, including Emmett's booming voice._

"_Outta the way." It was obvious that he was still in possession of the bullhorn. "Coming through."_

_The doctor climbed out of the limo, meeting a paramedic, giving him all the info he'd need to assess the situation. Suddenly, Bella screamed as another contraction moved through her. The time had decreased between contractions since my arrival. The babies would soon be with us._

_Though I feared for my wife and hated the fact that she bore the pain, excitement filled me. Soon I'd be able to hold my daughters. Something I had honestly looked forward to when the realization that I would become a father hit me._

_The paramedic climbed in, his complete attention on Bella. He looked at his watch and met the doctor's eyes. At that point, it was obvious, the girls were coming. Alice and I helped her through her exercises as the paramedic told her not to push yet. After the contraction ended, he took her vitals. His poker face was a bit unnerving. I couldn't get a read on him._

"_My partner is trying to get the ambulance as close as possible," the paramedic said, turning toward me. "If we can get her on the stretcher we can get to him faster."_

_I nodded. After Alice and I exited the limo, in less than forty-five seconds, the doctor and paramedic had Bella out of the limo and lying on a stretcher. Bystanders stood around the limo, watching our every move. My anger toward their curious faces was minimal, we were accustomed to the media, that was until a man with a camera and a reporter made it through the crowd that gathered._

_I growled as the cameraman made it within a couple of feet from Bella. "Fucking hell! A damn ambulance can't through this traffic, but a damn news van can?"_

_Emmett took that as a hint and started to push the crowds back. Bella called out for me, her eyes wide. "Edward," she said gravely. "Get me to the ambulance. You were right, the limo would be better than in front of a fucking La Perla store!"_

_I looked up, laughing when I saw the familiar sign. "We've come full circle, baby. I'm pretty sure you were wearing that lovely pale pink number when our daughters' were conceived."_

_She slapped my arm, biting her lip, trying not to laugh. When her mouth started to twitch, I smirked. My hands cradled her face and I kissed her full in the mouth. "God, I love you."_

_I nodded to the doc and the paramedic. With Emmett's help, he cleared the way for us to race toward the awaiting ambulance. Another contraction hit the moment Bella was lifted into the ambulance._

_Though Madison was born on the way to the hospital, Hayley started to have difficulties. It was bittersweet memory. Due to Bella's increased blood pressure and Hayley's decreasing heart rate, Bella was rolled into an operation room upon arrival at the hospital._

_It was by far, the scariest moment of my life. Not only had Bella's life been in danger but Hayley's, too. But my girls were fighters and thirty minutes later, a nurse informed me that my daughter was fine and Bella had stabilized._

"You look constipated," Alice said, giggling behind me, bringing me back the girls' nursery.

I grimaced, shaking my head. "Just thinking of the day they were born."

Alice sighed and patted my back. "An unforgettable day for us all." I smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her. "You should be out back, helping the guys move the rest of the chairs to the meadow."

I groaned and coughed as she smacked me with her elbow. "Remind me why we agreed to this big thing." I rolled my eyes, thankful that the girls could sleep through anything. "Oh wait, we didn't."

Alice batted her lashes in an attempt to pull off innocent. It only made her look more evil. "You said since we were all very pregnant when you got married the first time that we could do it bigger and better the second time."

"From now on I'm going to record all our future conversations for my protection. I am positive that I had not said bigger and better, but only that we'd have a small family gathering in the meadow."

She patted my arm playfully and replied, "Whatever makes you feel better. Though to be honest I think having two girls may have disintegrated the little brain cells you had, due to stress. You can't seem to remember the simplest things."

As she walked out of the room, I looked at the ceiling and tried to remain calm. We had given into family's insistence on a nice wedding in exchange for a two week child-free honeymoon. Though Bella and I were going to miss the girls, we needed the getaway. Especially, since we were unable to have a honeymoon after our first wedding.

Bella and I were pretty good at finding time to take care of our needs. Hallway trysts were a common occurrence in our household. Quickies are necessary and frequent and I was damn thankful that my wife was perpetually as hungry for me as I was for her.

And our "sparring" sessions had taken a much more different approach. She was the one that indicated that naked sparring may produce better results. It sure fucking had. She dropped almost every pregnancy pound in six months and was in the best shape she'd ever been in. Though I must admit, the extra inch or so to her chest was mouth-fucking-watering. I couldn't get enough of them.

I hadn't been inside Bella for more than two weeks, all in an effort to make our time away more special. I looked forward for what would _come_...namely Bella and me. So far the sex ban had proven difficult. I had to wonder if it was possible to die from blue balls. I even went as far as to Google possible side-effects of not coming for long periods of time.

"Come on," I heard her voice from the doorway. "We should help downstairs." Turning toward her, I smiled. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"There is no question about what's on your mind, Champ," Bella said, laughing. She rested her hip on the doorjamb, her arms crossed over her chest. A gorgeous, teasing smile on her lips, damn I had to have her. There was no way I'd make it until later that night.

Her eyes narrowed and she started to back away slowly. "Oh no," she hissed. "Don't even think about it." I lunged at her, my hands finding purchase on her hips. In a flash, I had her over my shoulder, running toward our bedroom.

Unfortunately, we were cockblocked by the pint sized version of Jasper. Logan Kal-El stood in the middle of the hallway, with a juice cup in his hand, his almost-teal blue eyes focused intently on us. His little blond curls shook as he looked behind him. And if summoned, Adam Emmett McCarty Cullen crawled up behind Logan.

I'd taken another step toward our bedroom, and I felt Bella stilling over my shoulder. We both knew what would happen should Logan sound out an alarm. In other words, Bella was as horny as I was. "Slowly," she whispered. "No sudden movements." Oh yeah, she wanted me.

It had taken me four strides to make it to the door, and we were in the clear. The moment my hand closed around the knob, the boys wailed. I thumped my head on the door twice as Alice and Rosalie called from the base of the short staircase. Damn, I couldn't take much more waiting.

"Put Bella down and get your asses down here!"

"We could lock the door," Bella said, giggling.

"They might wake the girls if we tried," I grumbled as I placed her down on her feet. After I pressed a kiss to her lips, I turned and ran toward Logan and Adam. They screamed and giggled as they both reached for me. They weren't even pretending to be scared of me.

I grabbed the boys and pretended to use them as free weights, each one curled in my biceps. Bella laughed, snapping a picture. The woman had a camera on her at all times. She'd taken most of the pictures since the last time she found naked ones of her amongst the ones of the girls.

Emmett had picked up that package and from the look on his face after, I knew he'd seen them. He couldn't even look Bella in the eyes for months after that. And every time my delectable wife wore the stilettos she's worn in the photos. I'd been in the dog house, the living room couch, for three days for that shit. It wasn't my fault that Emmett was a nosey ass.

Then again the make-up sex was unforgettable, the girls seemed to sleep through anything. Even their dad roaring out their mother's name. Good times.

After I settled the boys on their feet at the bottom of the stairs, they took off in what I called speed-crawling toward their mothers who waited for them there. Alice leveled a glare in my direction before grabbing her son and walking down the hall. Rosalie wiggled her eyebrows and followed Alice with Adam on her hip.

"You need to stop thinking with that smaller head of yours," Bella said as she took my hand. "Everyone will notice how much you miss me." Then the brat had the nerve to slap my ass. She knew what that shit did to me. I looked to my right, then to my left, when I noticed that were completely alone – I pounced.

My arms wrapped around her and I attacked her neck with fervor. Her back gently hit the wall behind her. She moaned and slipped her hands along my torso, down my back and beneath my sweats to grab my ass. Fuck, I loved when she did that. "Edward," she gasped when I bit her neck a little. I shouldn't have done that, because her dress would likely not cover the area. I also couldn't find myself remorseful about it. Being crazy jealous of any man looking at her made me both smug and pissed. I laved the reddened area with my tongue and teased her nipples with my thumbs. The sounds she made were enough to drive me insane.

"Someone's coming," Bella said softly, but instead of pushing me away she pulled me closer. I groaned when my hips met hers. "Oh God, if you keep doing that it'll be me." I laughed against her neck, continuing to torture us both. I knew we were getting carried away, but I needed to touch my wife.

Someone cleared their throat behind us. I groaned again, though it sounded more like a whimpering whine. "Get a room," Carlisle said, laughing as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, sir," I said with a devious grin. Bella shook her head and headed toward the kitchen. "He said get a room. And I always do what I'm told," I complained grudgingly.

She giggled and I could hear the laughter from the rest of my family. I grumbled as I pulled Bella's chair out and went to sit beside her. Emmett had other ideas, he shook his head and pointed at another chair.

"What the fuck, Em?" I growled, glaring. Rosalie popped the side of my head. The women in our family were on a kick, no cussing in front of the kids. I gave her a playful smile and turned to level a glare at Emmett. "I'm going to sit by my wife."

"Nope. We all know what happens under the table when you two are desperate for each other." Bella through a biscuit at him and it bounced off his cheek. "I'm sorry to spoil your fun, Lil' B."

Bella rolled her eyes. "No you're not," she said firmly. "This is payback for the sex embargo I had Rosalie put on your ass last year."

Emmett shrugged. "Not gonna lie. It's totally payback."

"Edward," Bella purred as she pointed at the chair across from her. I sat down and glared at Emmett as he sat beside my wife. "Have I ever told you what nice legs you have?" I coughed when I felt her foot sliding up my thigh.

Jasper groaned from the other side of the table. "We need to get this show on the road or else those two are going to do it where they stand."

"Does everyone know that we haven't had sex in weeks?" Bella asked confused. "Are we that obvious?"

"Yes," everyone replied. Including my dear aunt Esme who poured me a glass of orange juice.

Bella shrugged and started her breakfast. All the while her pretty little toes made me ache. Damn, my wife had long legs. My fingers curled around her ankle, pulling her enough so that she could see what she was doing to me.

Have I mentioned that my wife was evil? Instead of moving her foot away as I partially had hoped, she rubbed her foot over me.

"Here I thought I had a poker face," Bella said to Alice.

"Oh, you have a poker face," Alice said with a smile. "It's Edward that doesn't. Like now." She slapped Bella's arm and her foot slipped from my grasp.

Everyone shared a laugh, while I suffered from blue balls. Damn, at this rate I'd have to have her within moments of exchanging our vows. Why are we doing this again? Then I remembered the look on Bella's face when she walked down the aisle the first time. I wanted to see that again, and our girls, too.

I watched Bella as she laughed along with Emmett and the rest of my family. She was so fucking beautiful. And all mine.

I looked at each member of my family, including the newer faces. There was Jacob, whose arm was around Nessie's shoulders as she fed him some fruit. Alice held her little boy on her lap as he played with her necklace. Jordan smiling at his wife, his hand on her slightly rounded tummy. Rosalie had her hands full with a squirming Adam. My uncle and aunt sat side by side with a look in their eyes that I hoped Bella and I would have for years to come. It was at that moment that I realized I was having breakfast with _most_ of my family.

It was something Bella, the girls and I had done on many occasions. But that moment felt different, it felt like home. However, there was something missing. I stood up abruptly and took the stairs two at a time until I reached the nursery. I lifted each one of my precious girls into my arms and headed back downstairs.

Bella's features softened when she realized what I'd done. I handed off Madi and settled into my chair. Esme smiled at me and together we ate breakfast as a family.

It was bliss.

~oOo~

Hours later, I knocked on our bedroom door. Alice smiled and gave me a brief hug as she stepped out of the room. Esme, Rosalie, and Nessie followed all stopping long enough to kiss me on my cheek.

It was agreed upon that Bella and I would walk down that aisle together with our girls leading the way. It was almost time I wanted to see Bella in her dress. To be honest, I wanted that one moment to ask what I couldn't ask in front of others.

I walked into our bedroom, in our home away from home, and found her sitting on a little settee, watching me from half-lidded eyes. I'd gloat about the desire I found there, but I was too busy devouring her with my eyes.

"Hello, wife," I said as I stepped that much closer to her. I took in the scent of her perfume, inhaling twice to get the full effect. She laughed, that throaty laugh that indicated she was aroused as I was.

"Hello, husband," she murmured, licking her bottom lip before biting it. "You look...good."

I smirked and laughed. "Is that all you got? And you call yourself a writer."

She lifted a shoulder, letting it drop gently. All I saw was skin. No straps for my fingers to smooth over or slowly remove as I worked my mouth along her collarbone. Her dress was strapless, fitted to her entire body, but about mid-calf it opened up with lace and tulle.

"You look beautiful, but strapless," I growled. "You are not going to be dancing with that damn prick Jason." The young architect was new to our company and a pain in the ass. He made it clear on more than one occasion that he wouldn't mind to bag my wife.

Bella smiled and pursed her lips. "My dance cart will be full I'm sure, Edward. And if he tries what he tried at the barbecue I'll hit him where it hurts." I had no doubt about that, she'd demonstrated that she was more than capable of handling that type of situation.

As if I needed the reminder. Jason laughed off the incident as arrogance that he had no clue Bella was _my_ wife. Not that it mattered to him. He had been told that Bella was married by others at the office when she'd visited often. Yet, it hadn't deterred him in the least.

Bella stood up, giving me a better view to the way the dress showed off all her curves. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning out loud. Instead, I smirked and opened my arms in invitation.

She gave me a breathtaking smile and slipped inside my embrace. "Have you seen the girls?" she asked softly.

"No," I said, resting my chin on her head. "Esme and Rosalie kept them away from me. I'm sure they're going to be beautiful."

Bella lifted her eyes to meet mine and bit her lip nervously. "Do you think they'll do all right?"

"Practice went well yesterday," I reminded her. "Though all the people attending might scare them a bit." She sighed and snuggled closer. "I love you, baby."

She laughed and teased, "I know."

"That's all I get?" I said fiercely in mock anger.

"I love you very much," she replied, squeezing me a bit harder. "I'm glad we're finally here again. It's been such a tough year."

"Yeah," I said and held her tighter. "Almost losing you and Hayley," I added hoarsely. The small kiss she placed on my trembling chin was a soothing balm.

"Jordan's relapse." I could hear the sadness that crept in her voice. Jordan had become addicted to pain killers shortly after Brianna's death, got cleaned up, but had recently fell off the wagon after he busted his knee when he'd fallen at home. Though he had been able to walk for well over six months, there was still lingering periods of weakness and pain in his back. If it hadn't been for Bella's instinct and observance toward her brother, he might have never made to rehab again.

"Angela's and Ben's divorce," I whispered, kissing her tenderly when her body tensed.

"There was nothing more you could've done for them. He loved her, baby. But it was poisoning him."

Bella nodded and sighed. "That scare with little Adam."

God, had that been scary. The daycare he'd been staying at was held hostage by a drugged out father that sought out his daughter there. The employees and children were held there for more than sixteen hours. Rosalie was inconsolable during the ordeal, Emmett was beside himself. It ended brutally by a single shot to the bastard's head.

Rosalie and Emmett had their own son in lock down for months after that. Too scared to go out and risk their child. Not that I blamed them. Thanks to Bella and a few colleagues of hers, she managed to coax them from hiding. She may have no longer practiced but she was respected amongst her former peers.

"And Esme's and Carlisle's heartache," Bella said softly.

I nodded and remembered the loss we had felt when my uncle and aunt pulled away from the family after the adoption had fallen through. Esme, at a young age had known she'd never be able to have children, due to a car accident as a teenager.

Emmett, had been adopted at the age of twelve, and after my parents died, they took me in at age fourteen. Alice had joined our family at the tender age of five. So Esme never had a baby to call her own. It had taken years, but they had the adoption of a sweet little girl from China last September go through, only to have it ripped away from them when the child had fallen ill and passed. Had the adoption gone through months earlier, they may have been able to save her.

I wanted to believe that after Bella and I had gotten married that life would be simpler, easier. It hadn't been. However, I wouldn't have traded her or our family for anything in the world. Though life wasn't easy, it was worth living with them in it. I believed had I not had her in my life, the past year would devastated my family.

"You ready?" she whispered.

I shook my head and bent to press my lips to hers. "I love you so fucking much, Bella."

"I love you, too." The smile she gave me hadn't reached her eyes and I knew her mind was still on the unpleasant memories.

"We have a lifetime to make happy memories," I said, taking her face in my hands. "Together."

"There have been good things to happen this year, too." She smiled and her eyes softened, I could almost see the memories pass through them. "The girls first birthday."

"Yes," I said with a laugh. "That was fun. The amount of birthday cake that made into their little mouths was nothing compared to amount their faces."

"The first time we held them." That was a pleasant memory, one that would forever be remembered that I flat out cried like a baby. At least that was what Emmett compared my blubbering to that unforgettable day.

"How about Nessie's graduation?" I offered. It'd been only been a few weeks previously that we witnessed the event. Bella was proud of her cousin, and Nessie was a perfect example of how good a mother she could be.

Bella smiled. "Let's not forget when Julie and Jordan announced their pregnancy."

"All your book awards and the movie deal," I added. "I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah, but winning Best Home Design for Architecture's Digest," she said and smiled smugly. "Was total win."

I laughed and whirled her around. Then we both heard Alice call for us. I groaned and kissed Bella once more. She turned to double check her lipstick, turned toward me, cocking an eyebrow.

"I know you're curious," she said in the teasing tone I fucking loved.

She knew me so well. I shrugged. "I'm a man. Of course I'm wondering what's under the dress."

She laughed and wiggled a little to show me sheer white thigh highs, clipped by a sexy matching garter. Her panties were sheer, too, trimmed with lace. "You love to torture me," I groaned. "Why did you show me? I'll never be able to make it through the ceremony and the reception."

Bella laughed and picked up her flower bouquet from the bed. "That's the point, hon." She threaded her arm in mine and winked.

"Tease," I grumbled as I led the way out the door. "Where did you get the flowers?" I removed my tuxedo jacket, it had gotten warm due the peek Bella had given me.

"Alice picked some of the wild flowers from the meadow early this morning," she said as we walked down the hall. "And made it part of the arrangement."

"They're beautiful. I thought I recognized the scent."

Mostly everyone had left, but I spied Jasper in the backyard as I led Bella toward the covered walkway. She slipped her arm from mine and tucked a wayward curl from her forehead. I loved that she left it mostly down, cascading down her back. She held her flowers in her right hand, while she adjusted her necklace with the other.

I threw my tuxedo jacket over my left shoulder as my fingers of my free hand trailed down Bella's arm. The sound that escaped her was unmistakable. The sweet gasp was followed by a quiet giggle. Unable to resist, my fingers slid down her side as we walked, curling around her ass. For only a moment before I fluffed her lacy train. Then pinched her butt, for good measure.

She threw her head back and laughed. "Thanks for making sure my train was perfect, Edward."

I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows. "Yes. And your rear end is perfect, too."

She smiled as Jasper ran up to us. "All right, you're riding up with me in the golf cart. Everyone else already left for the meadow."

We nodded and followed him through the expansive garden. It'd taken almost six months to convince the owner of the meadow to allow us to buy him out. The good thing was that the new property bordered our property.

After we acquired it, I had crews come out to clear a winding but easily hiked path to the meadow. The only easily accessible way to get to the meadow was from the backyard. Bella had loved it, it'd been my early anniversary gift to her.

The breeze that filtered through the trees was nice, but my eyes were on my wife. She held her face up to the sun, basking in its light. I kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck. I was so fucking thankful to have her in my life.

We watched as the entrance to the meadow opened before us. Alice and Esme had out done themselves. Since we had expressed interest in having our vows renewed there, they had worked with a Jasper to add to the natural beauty of it and the surrounding land.

As we made our way through the lighted trees and natural arbors, I took a moment to reflect about my relationship with my Bella. There was no doubt in my mind, the woman who sat beside me was made for me. We fought as any other couple likely had, but we loved so fucking fiercely and we learned.

Learning together was something I damn near reveled in. Parenting hadn't been easy and not second nature as I had hoped. However, whatever we didn't know we sought out information and learned from our mistakes.

I watched as Bella's face lit up, her eyes on the aisle that lay ahead. Her gasp, the tears that were in her eyes were those of joy and fondness. She'd seen the girls. I turned, taking her hand in mine.

Standing behind the absurdly tall arch of ivy and hanging flowers, were Jordan and Julie with our little babies. It was such a wonderful sight. Bella and I were hidden from view of the sixty something guests that were in attendance, but the girls caught sight of us as Jasper passed them to park.

"Da! Da! Mmma!" They both cried out in unison. With a smile, I jumped out of the car and helped Bella down.

"They look beautiful," Bella said breathlessly. When we made our way over to them, both of them looked at their mother with awe. She was pretty fucking spectacular and the sunlight made her all the more.

Hayley was the first to reach out for Bella, her little fingers instantly closing around my mother's ring that had been altered into a pendant. "Mmma?" she said almost questionably, cocking her head from side to side a few times.

"Pretty," Bella said. Hayley giggled and nodded then shook her head. "Daaa!" She pointed at me. "Your dad is pretty, too." When Madi giggled as if she understood, I knew my days as an outspoken male dominance were numbered.

I held out my arms for Madi, laughing as Jordan handed her to me. "Look at you, pretty girl," I whispered. Madi and Hayley were dressed in matching pale white and lilac dresses. They weren't poofy, thank God, I wouldn't want them to trip. But the fabric shimmered beneath the filtering sunlight.

Madi made a point to show off her tiny headband, making it obvious that she wasn't too happy about it. I wondered if it itched her. I slipped my finger beneath the fabric and found it relatively smooth. When she pointed at Hayley's, I realized the problem. They weren't the same. One had a center of small crystals and the other pearls.

It was bad that I was very much aware what was in fashion for tots. No doubt Emmett would insist I hand over my man card to Bella immediately. Madi asked for Bella to carry her, too. I stood back for a moment. I watched Bella show our daughters her necklace, talking to them as they each pointed at the diamonds that dangled from her ears, too.

I might have handed in my man card in someone else's eyes, but hell it took a man to be a father and husband that would do anything for his girls. And I'd do anything for them. Even crawl around on all fours to play with them.

"It's time," Jordan said as he took Hayley from Bella. My wife nodded and settled Madi in Julie's arms. Bella lifted the tiny baskets from the back of the golf cart, filled with white and lavender petals and handed them to our girls.

They babbled to their mother, then to me and then turned to one another to compare their baskets. It was a true joy to watch. Together we set them on their white mary-jane shoed feet, pointing toward the aisle. They in turn did the same, looking back at the basket as if they understood.

After a few minutes of reminding them of what they had to do, Jordan nodded to the harpist toward the end of the aisle. Madi led the way, her sister only a step behind her, slowly, on the edge of the aisle Jordan and Julie walked along their sides.

Within in a few steps, our friends and family turned to look at our girls as they walked along the aisle. For only a moment, Hayley stood frozen, drawing her finger in her mouth, looking questionably at the crowd. She turned to look up at Bella and I, she gave us a beautiful smile.

Giggling, she ran toward her sister and together they started to scatter the petals behind them. Occasionally, Hayley would pick up a handful of petals and throw them again. The moment the girls passed their cousins Logan and Adam, they threw a handful toward them. As our friends and family laughed, I took Bella's hand in mine and we followed.

* * *

**Bella**

The ceremony was a beautiful as it was the first time, only a little brighter. By the time we exchanged our vows our girls had fallen asleep in their Uncle Jordan's arms. A rather large, fairy-tale like gazebo had been temporarily erected for the reception, along with a multitude of round tables for the small dinner they'd have soon.

Alice managed to wrestle me away from my husband after pictures were taken, long enough for her to push me into a tent so that I could change into my reception dress. It was rather ridiculous to pay such an outrageous amount for my wedding dress to only wear it for a couple of hours. However, she insisted since it was an outdoor wedding, it was appropriate.

I snuck a peek outside the tent to see if I could find my husband, perhaps to give me a hand. I smiled wickedly at the thought.

However, instead I found a large gaggle of woman ogling him. That of course reminded me of the baby shower fiasco. A year ago the conversations I had eavesdropped on had been vile and often left me on the verge of tears during my pregnancy. However, things had changed.

"Is it wrong that he appeals to me even more than before?" the pretty redhead said, sipping on a glass of champagne. "It's because of the way he dotes on his wife and girls. Just look at him."

I smiled, looking over their shoulders secretly, to where Edward was crawling on the grass, with Madi using his backside as a walker. I giggled under my breath. Edward was the only walker she'd use since she started to stand months earlier.

"Two years ago we would've never seen him on his knees in an Armani tux." Some of the women snickered. "He intimidated the fuck out me before, but now he's approachable. But in the 'I don't have to worry that he'll try to convince me to go upstairs kind of way.'" Several of the women sighed. "He's happy."

They all watched as Hayley grabbed his nose with her tiny hand, eliciting a growl from Edward that made her giggle and run from him. He launched himself toward her, all the while Madi hung on to his rear end. It was a rather sexy scene, but sweet also.

"You have to wonder what that woman has to do to keep him interested," another woman stated. "I mean from what I heard he was rather insatiable. Nat thought he was a sex addict."

"You're taking the word of Natalie Winters, considering she couldn't bag the man as she'd hoped and she herself had been accused of the very same thing." The woman sighed softly and shook her head. "From what I've heard it's the main reason her husband has her on such a tight leash."

"She deserved it after the stunt she pulled at the baby shower," a petite little blond said. "Who's that petty?" Several murmured their agreement. "Besides the woman is gorgeous and I've read a few of her books. If she can heat up the pages with a few simple words, there's no telling what she could do with a mouth like that."

"Bitch," someone said with a giggle. "I'd kill to have those lips." She sighed as several of the women laughed. "Still what I wouldn't give to be a fly on their bedroom wall. I'm sure I could learn a few things."

Well that seemed like a complete turnaround. It finally seemed that the gossip hounds of Seattle's society had finally gotten the hint. Edward Cullen was off the market – for good. However, it never hurt to make it absolutely clear.

Careful to exit in a different direction, I made my way toward Edward without changing out of my dress. Our girls took refuge on a blanket on the grass along with their cousins, while Esme and Rosalie watched over them. I looked around to make sure Alice wasn't aware of my actions.

Edward gave me a crooked smile as I approached, one that showcased all that cockiness I'd seen before. The ass knew exactly what I was after, and he was very willing to deliver. Taking a hold of his hand, I led them toward the tent.

"I need to change into another dress," I whispered, looking at him from over my shoulder. His eyes were on my ass, when I spoke he shook his head and grinned. "I need a little help with my zipper."

"I'm your man," he replied as he released my hand so that he could curl his fingers around my waist. I smiled at him, passing the women who I had overheard earlier.

"Yes, you are my man. Now, how about I show how much I love you."

Edward wiggled his eyebrows, quickening his pace. Alice stopped in front of us, well within hearing range of the women. I bit my lip as Alice gave us a little glare. She picked up Edward's hand to look at his watch.

"Thirty minutes," she said and rolled her eyes. I knew she'd make sure we wouldn't be disturbed.

Edward bent down to whisper in my ear, "I can do a lot with thirty minutes."

I shivered. "So could I."

"Is that a challenge, Mrs. Cullen?"

I smiled coyly, rubbing my hand over his ass, earning a cocked eyebrow. "I can make you a very happy man in thirty minutes, and at least twice." He groaned, watching as I licked my lips.

"You are without a doubt," he growled as he pulled me into his arms. "The naughtiest, sexist woman I'd ever met." Edward slipped his hands over my ass, only the very tips of his fingers, but enough to push me against his erection.

I had no doubt that our entire conversation had been overheard, and I had a feeling Edward was well aware of it, too. He pulled me inside the tent, pushing me gently inside. I watched as he popped his head outside for a moment, and said, "Ladies."

There were a few gasps, several giggles and a snort of laughter. Oh, that would certainly cause a few tongues to wag along the gossip vine. I didn't care. I pulled Edward inside and pushed him against the large wardrobe along the south wall of the tent.

"Now, how about I get started?" I whispered, lifting an arm up. Slowly, my fingers enclosed around my side zipper.

Edward grinned wickedly, watching very closely. "You have a side zipper, you didn't need me at all."

I smiled and shook my head. "I need you, Edward."

Edward found a small leather bench and sat down. With a watchful and hungry gaze, he gestured with his hand and replied, "Why don't you show me how much you need me."

Hmm, was there enough time for a strip tease?

* * *

**AN: I hadn't meant to drag this out. But I really wanted for you to see how happy they were with their girls and with each other. And see them as a family. Since it was already pretty long, I decided to cut it here. You really didn't think I'd end this without a bang…or two. I'm working on the second half now. Hopefully I'll have it up in a couple of weeks. Thanks!**


	43. Epilogue Part Two

**Former Subject: Edward Cullen aka Recently Reformed Womanizer**

**Epilogue Part Two**

* * *

**Betaed by ****BookishQua/Booksgalore**

* * *

**Edward**

I loved the way my wife's mind worked. At the moment, I could see the internal ramblings in her head were similar to my own. Or perhaps I was telepathically expressing my request for a strip-fucking-tease.

"You haven't danced for me in a long time," I rasped as my fingers itched to curl around her enticing curves.

She smiled then, turning and swaying her tantalizing hips. With her back to me, she continued to tease, fingering the zipper, but not pulling it down. "I dance with you all the time." And she did, there wasn't a day that I hadn't swept her across the floor in an impromptu dance that usually sent the girls in fits of laughter.

"You dance _with _me, not _for _me."

She cocked an eyebrow over her shoulder, smirking. "Is that what you want? A dance?" Ever so slowly the zipper of her dress parted, exposing inch by inch of her creamy skin.

"Baby," I gasped, barely grasping onto the control to remain where I sat. "I'd like much more than a dance."

She smiled, biting her lip, turning her back to me again. Slowly, she swayed from side to side and then circled her hips seductively. It was nearly hypnotic. Nothing, well nearly nothing, could pull me away from the sight of her dancing so enticingly.

I wanted to grab her and fuck her hard and fast, because it felt as if it'd been months since I'd been inside her. The reality was that it'd been only a couple of weeks. I held myself in check, because I also wanted to watch, plus I knew she loved delayed gratification. It only made her orgasm more explosive and being the wonderful husband I was, I always made sure she got what she needed.

As she danced, the dress slipped further down her back and over her hips. I bit back a gasp, but failed when the tiny panties I'd only seen a glimpse of earlier, came into view. "Holy fuck," I groaned. White lace, with my name embroidered in red across her ass.

I was as red-blooded as any other man and the image of my name anywhere on her made me want to crawl all over her, stake my claim and grunt from the satisfaction I'd find between her sexy, soft thighs.

"Come here," I grunted, clearing my throat that had become suddenly parched. She looked over her shoulder, smiling, shaking her head _no_ at my request. Her gaze moved over me, lingering on my mouth and her lips parted when she'd taken in the tightened seam of my crotch.

She denied me again, and when her dress pooled around her feet, all my control snapped. How could I resist her in barely-there lingerie? Had she any idea what she did to me? I lunged forward, grasping her hips, pressing my lips to the amazing dips above her equally edible ass.

Moaning softly, she wiggled in my grasp, but pushed harder against me. From hip to hip, I laid a series of open-mouthed kisses. Within my hold, she turned so that I was face to face with one of my favorite parts of her body. She giggled as I nuzzled her and growled. I bit the lace that covered her, wanting desperately to have her taste on my tongue.

Her fingers moved over my head, moaning as my fingers teased her. She tugged on my hair deliciously, pulling me closer. "We don't," she gasped when I successfully slipped a finger inside her. "Oh God...have time."

She was slick and warm and fucking perfect, and her reminder of time amped up my need for her more. I slid up her body, making sure she felt all of me against her. I grasped the back of her neck, claiming her lips in a feverish kiss that had us both panting in mere moments. She gave as much as she took.

Soon, I found myself backed up against dresser with her hands inside my pants. I groaned when I felt her fingers wrap around my cock. "Bella," I said hoarsely. We could be caught at any moment, all the more evident by the sound of people passing the tent we occupied. "Jesus," I cursed and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her off her feet. She laughed, throwing her head back as I nipped at her neck.

I swiftly turned, placing her on the chest that would be a stretch for me to get inside her, but I didn't let that impede me. "Hurry, hurry," she protested as I continued to torture her neck and collarbone. Bella tugged on my hair mercilessly, thrusting her tongue between my lips. I groaned and slipped her panties to the side. Her feet, namely the heels of her shoes, caught onto the sides of my pants and pushed them down enough for me to become exposed. She moaned, watching as I tried to line up with her.

"Damn it," she hissed as I teased, letting her only feel a hint of me. I smirked and bit at her now naked mouth. The accompanying gasp to my thrust was music to my fucking ears. "Edward!"

Her cry was barely muffled by the seal of my lips on hers. We should be quieter since the walls of the tent were paper thin. The shiver that ran through her only served to enrich my blood. I became impossibly harder inside her and pulled almost completely out before I thrust inside again, following it with swirl of my hips to hit her just right. She cried out, and that time it escaped before I could suppress it.

And I didn't give a fuck. Let all the assholes that had been vying to take her onto the dance floor all day, know that I was the only one that could do this with her. And that I was the one that made her scream.

Since the girls had been born, Bella and I continued to attend and teach classes at the club that was run by someone new. It was fun and it allowed us to have that one night a month to let it all go. Though I hated the idea of men watching her in the throes of passion, I fucking loved when they saw that _I _was the reason for that look of rapture on her beautiful face.

Though we usually used models for the demonstrations, we did one class where we were the demonstrators. Who the fuck knew I was a damn exhibitionist? Though it wasn't something we needed to keep the fire between us burning, we both learned a lot about each other. Through the eyes of others we knew that what we had was special. And that we'd be fools not to work things through whenever we fought. Which thankfully, wasn't often, but makeup sex was incredible.

"Edward!" she gasped, tugging my mouth back to hers. "Right there...right there!" The upward angle allowed me to hit that spot that always made her cry out. I grinned and drove inside her harder. She nearly screamed, but managed to close her mouth over my shoulder. I grunted and threw my head back.

It was getting harder to hold back my need to roar like a fucking caveman. Though Bella and I were equally audible while we made love, she'd been managing to prevent herself from making too much noise. Since children were often in the house – asleep, of course. However, I still had yet to learn to master that much restraint.

She tugged on my head again, closing her lips over mine. Why? Because she anticipated my needs and my grunts and near snarls became her own as she swallowed them. Fuck! She felt damn good and it was coming to an end way too fast.

And she wasn't there yet. "Tell me," I moaned, my lips hovering over hers. "What do you need?" It had gotten harder for her to come, which of course, she turned into a study, which meant sex whenever and wherever we could and in as many positions as possible. It was for research purposes and the fact that the woman couldn't get enough of me. And I was a man, and I wasn't going to complain with that logic.

She grasped my hand and led it down her body. I thought for sure she'd lead it to between her thighs. To tease her, bring her to completion. Instead, my fucking amazing wife brought my fingers around to her ass.

I groaned and kissed her hard. Though we explored every type of sex imaginable, she enjoyed when I teased or fucked her ass. That was a total fucking score in my book. I was one lucky fucker.

"Fuck, Bella." She moaned as I teased her ass, her own fingers rubbed between her thighs. "Oh God." I thrust harder, faster, shallower because I was dying, desperate to come. "Please!"

Her head fell back, her neck completely exposed. I sucked at the hollow, eliciting a sweet moan. Nails bit on my shoulder, the tiny bites of pain only brought me that much closer. "Bella," I murmured, nipping at her collarbone. When I slipped two of my fingers deep inside her, she tensed around me, crying out.

Fuck yes! I groaned and thrust inside her twice before my knees nearly buckled as I came. "Bella," I cried out hoarsely. Her arms wrapped around me after she caught her breath, her lips pressing tiny kisses along my temple. "I love you, wife." She sighed softly, returning the sentiment as a whisper in my ear.

When I finally managed to catch my breath, I gave her a smirk. "I thought we should take care of that before the cake."

"Let me guess, you wouldn't have been held responsible of your actions after you watched me lick frosting from my lips?" she teased as she laid her dress on a chair.

"Don't forget your fingers," I replied, tucking myself inside my pants. "I'd never make it past that."

She laughed and gave me a look over her shoulder, throwing me a towel. "Wash up," she said firmly. "I'll be out in a few minutes." I nodded, because if I remained there, I'd take her again. And I wouldn't feel bad about it.

I hadn't moved an inch, mesmerized as she slipped on a pale blue silk dress over her body. I had forgotten how sexy it was to watch her put on clothes. She shimmied, swayed, swirled that sexy body of hers, and when she hadn't told me shit for not moving, I had to wonder if it was another game.

I smirked and closed the distance between us, placing my hands on her hips. "Tease," I whispered in her ear and bit her earlobe gently. "Now that I know what lies beneath the dress," my hand skimmed over her ass, "I'll never get through the rest of the reception."

She laughed and tried to escape my hold. I smacked her bottom and remained still as she helped me with my bow tie. "Love you," she whispered, meeting my lips in a sweet kiss. "Now go."

I nodded and turned to leave, but when I looked back I noticed a problem. "Baby," I said, chuckling. "You can see my name on your panties through your dress." The red of the embroidery was darker than the thin light blue silk.

She smirked and that made me nervous. "Oh, I know." In a flash, her panties were in her hand and then stuffed into my pocket. I groaned and left, the reception couldn't end fast enough.

~oOo~

Somehow, likely thanks to Alice, Bella and I managed to escape the tent with none the wiser to our activities. It was likely they knew, but kept their mouths shut. I'd taken a break from dancing so that I could feed Hayley, her sister fast asleep in a playpen we set up for the kids. From my perch, I watched the new hot shot architect from the firm dance with my wife.

Hayley smacked my face with her tiny hand and cried out, "Da, da!" I turned to her, smiling and kissing her little frosting-filled face. She giggled sweetly, laughing more when she'd seen that I had smeared frosting all over my mouth. Her hand immediately grabbed a napkin from the table and she started to wipe my face.

"The nerve of the little prick," someone said behind me. I couldn't see who, but the venom behind the voice was evident. "You'd think he realized that he's making a fool of himself. He's willing to bed a married woman. Does he think that it makes him look good?"

"Idiot," someone else added. "Maybe we should give him Nat's number." There were a few snickers and laughter, followed by an expletive. "Edward obviously hasn't noticed."

I realized then who were they were talking about. Turning toward the dance floor, I watched as Bella discreetly moved Jason's hand from her ass. Esme patted my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "I'll watch Hayley. I think its time you cut in."

I nodded, wiping my face as I made my way across the meadow to where Jason held Bella too close. I knew she was trying to avoid a scene, one that could end ugly. She could easily kick his ass and put a stop to his shit, but too many people were watching.

There were several faces that looked just as angry as I was. Jason was crossing a line, though Bella hadn't worked for the company for over a year, she was a consultant. However, she couldn't slap a lawsuit on the little shit, without hurting the company. And he knew that. The irony was not lost on me; however, the difference was that I never pursued a woman who'd made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me.

Two years ago, the women that spoke negatively about Jason moments earlier, had likely done the same about me. Where previously, it would've been a blow to my ego, it had the opposite effect on me as Bella's husband. I was no longer that man, and I knew that in their eyes I was much more than a womanizer.

"May I cut in?" I asked, though my question was polite, my tone wasn't. My hand and arm wrapped around Bella's waist, immediately stopping them from dancing. My wife's body relaxed instantly at my touch. However, Jason's entire body tensed visibly. He was obviously drunk and I had to wonder, why the fuck had he been invited. Right, because he hadn't acted like an asshole until after he'd received the invitation months earlier.

"Mr. Cullen," he hissed. "Your wife and I were enjoying our dance together. She was kind enough to offer me one." His smirk almost reached his eyes, as if I'd believe him. When Bella tensed in my embrace, it was my turn to look at her.

"I was merely providing the new intern Delilah, an escape," Bella hissed softly.

Jason cocked an eyebrow. "Direct and to the point. I like that."

Did the man have a fucking death wish?

Bella smiled and brushed her lips against my jaw. "Alice is signaling that it's time for us to go." I nodded and waited for Jason to leave, but his eyes remained on Bella. Something told me that there was more to his fascination with my wife. And from the careful way she watched him, I'd say she had the same suspicion.

"Didn't you come with a date?" she asked, no doubt remembering his plus one on his R.S.V.P card.

Jason smirked and nodded. "Why yes, but she's running a little late. Had to fly in. She's a mutual friend." Bella's eyes widened and she stopped breathing. Her gaze was locked on someone else. "Well, here she is." I turned to look and tensed. Fuck.

Angela. Though her expression gave nothing away, composed as I'd never seen her, she was dressed to kill. In a sleek black dress, which even I knew was stupid to wear to a outdoor wedding, with a slit that exposed most of her leg from toe to hip.

Before she could walk over, I glared at her, causing her to stop immediately. I returned my attention to Jason. "She's not allowed to be within a hundred feet of me and my wife," I growled. "Leave now, take her with you or I'll have you escorted out." With a gesture of my hand, my family closed on us. Thankfully, Alice had the right mind to get the children inside.

Jason smiled and nodded. "I see," he said softly. His eyes moved over Bella, stopping for a moment to look at her mouth. "She said she was a mutual acquaintance, but must've lost her invitation in the mail." Bella stiffened as Jason whispered in her ear, loud enough for me to hear him. "I know all your secrets, my dear."

"Fuck off before your only projects are done with a set of Legos, asshole," I hissed.

With that said, Jason spun on his heels and left. It was a threat, but what he wanted in exchange for his silence hadn't been clear. But by the way he looked at my wife, no matter the answer, I wouldn't like it. Fuck.

~oOo~

The dark sky above was littered with stars which were easier to see out there in the wilderness. Bella and I were leaving for our stay at the hotel for the night before we left for our two week stay at a luxury cabin and private island in Greece.

Bella's outward appearance was as radiant and happy as ever. She kissed the girls several times, making them giggle as she held them close. It would be the first time we'd be apart from our daughters for such a long length of time.

I wrapped my arms around all three of my girls, causing Hayley and Madi to shriek with laughter. Growling, I nuzzled each of their cheeks, missing them already. Bella's head lifted, her eyes filling with tears. I kissed her pouting lips and forehead. "We'll be back before you know it."

She nodded and passed each of the girls to Esme and Carlisle. I bent to kiss each of my girls and as if they knew what was happening, they started to cry in earnest. Bella bit her lip, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. I hated leaving them, too. And I didn't want to be the bad guy, but we had to go.

"Come on, baby," I whispered in her ear as I led her away. "They'll stop in a few minutes, you know that." She nodded and looked over her shoulder. The girls were still sniffling but they had quieted down. When I turned to see what helped, Logan had pulled his pants down, his diaper-clad butt wiggling and he was giggling. That of course had the girls laughing within seconds. I'd have to keep an eye on that boy.

"See," I said. "They'll be fine."

"I know," Bella said smiling brightly. "Logan has a gift. He could always get the girls to stop crying."

I laughed and pulled her closer. Tucked tightly against my side I kissed the top of her head. "Now, are you ready?"

She looked up at me and confusion filled her eyes. "Ready for what?" However, I caught the tiny lift of her lips. I growled and stood in front of her glaring. Then I smirked. Her eyes widened for half a second and she knew she didn't stand a chance. I tucked my shoulder into her abdomen and threw her over my shoulder. She shrieked and laughed. "Edward!" I smacked her ass twice to get her to quiet her down, but instead I was awarded with a hot little moan.

That had me quickening my pace to the golf cart. It was time to hit the road. Wickedly, I thought that it about time I got a little road head. It had been a while. Bella must've tapped into thoughts, because her hands started to roam down my front.

"I'm going to drop you if you even think about it, baby," I groaned. "Let me put you down first." She moaned in protest, but complied. I sat her inside the golf cart, pulling her lips to my own. She of course totally cheated and deepened our kiss. I groaned and pulled away before we got carried away again.

Her little whimper did little to help with my control. She turned back, waving and blowing kisses to our family. After a quick wave from me, we left in a cloud of dust. Well not really, we were after all in a golf cart. We'd probably be faster walking, but since Bella was in heels, ones that made her legs look incredible. There was no way I'd have her walk the long hike back to the house.

The ten minute ride back home was quiet and I knew she was thinking about what happened at the reception with Jason and Angela. Once inside the quiet house, to gather our overnight bags, I pulled her in close.

"I know from what you told me that Angela wasn't aware of your subjects," I said. "So how did she find out?"

Bella sighed and gave me a wary smile. "I've been thinking about that. Besides Mike, who we both know wouldn't say a word; the only other mutual acquaintance is Jane." I nodded, remembering how our lives could've been so different if she'd chosen to take on Jane's brother as a subject instead of me.

"And she's upset with you," I whispered, shaking my head. "You've done everything you could to protect yourself and at the expense of possibly losing your license. You destroyed all the files; spoke with every single one of those involved. All of them indicated that they'd never utter a word even though you told them you'd understand if they did." I shook my head again, taking her hand in mine. "You even offered to cover their therapy bills should they feel that they need it because of what you did. None of them would even consider it; they all said you helped them. Yes, as we discussed hundreds of times before, your methods were in essence unethical, but damn, Bella, you helped them."

She bit her lip as tears gathered in her eyes. Taking my face in her hands, she brushed her lips over mine. "Thank you," she whispered before she continued, "for saying that and for being there. I know it wasn't easy for you to sit down and listen to me discuss my relationships with these other men. But I love you for being there for me."

It hadn't been easy, but our therapist thought it would be best for me to be involved when she brought the group together. No one had protested my presence, but I was watched closely. As if they were sizing me up, making sure I was good enough for her. Even after all the heartache Bella had caused these men, they'd still protect her, and probably still loved her, just in a different way. I should've felt threatened, but I wasn't.

They had no animosity toward me, because they knew I loved her and that she returned it in a way they'd only gotten a glimpse of. And I could live with that.

I pulled her closer, my arms wrapping her waist. "Whatever they have in mind, we're in this together," I said softly. "It hasn't been easy, but we've come away from this stronger than ever." She looked at me, smiling. She rose to the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to my chin, scraping her teeth there. I growled and pulled her to the garage where our SUV awaited us.

She laughed; that sexy laugh of hers that always made me want to flip her on her back and pound into her. The image her laughter conjured up had me adjusting myself and grumbling under my breath. And that made her laugh more.

It was a never ending cycle, one that I'd never want to end. I knew that one day in the future, I'd be eighty years old, armed with a walker and a bottle of Viagra and still chase her around the room.

"Edward," Bella purred, pressing her incredible body against my back as I tossed our bags in the backseat. Her beautiful, soft breasts pressed against me and caused my usual reaction. I growled like a fucking caveman. I turned swiftly and swept her into my arms. I turned and backed her up against the side of her car, caging her with my hips and my hands on each side of her head. Before she could utter a word of protest, as if she would, I closed my mouth of hers.

Her fingers curled into my hair and her leg over my hip. I groaned, pulling her leg up further, feeling the effect I had on her. I held onto her thigh and pulled her up against me twice more. Breathless, I pulled away to press my mouth on her shoulder. "If we don't get out of here, I'm going to fuck you against the car."

Bella moaned softly as my teeth scraped over her flushed skin. "The problem being –"

She really shouldn't have said that, and thankfully everyone was at the reception, which left us alone. Her sure and nimble fingers had me exposed in mere moments, a lift and grunt and I was inside her again, for the third time in as many hours. I had to have her again after that damn cake feeding tradition.

It was hard and mind-numbing as I hit her deep over and over, groaning as her nails bit into my ass and shoulder. Fuck, I loved that shit. And as she clenched around me, I knew I fucking put an end to her _not _coming when I had her like that.

After a mind blowing orgasm, I bit her earlobe and whispered, "I'm on a record. Make sure you make a note in your study, baby."

She laughed and slapped my arm. "Stop making fun of me! It's not like you haven't enjoyed the benefits of all the new positions to achieve more of that." Her hand lifted to brush some of my hair from my forehead. "I love you."

I smiled and kissed her softly, gently, while my hands smoothed down her silk dress over her hips. She moaned and bit my lip again. "If you keep doing that we're never leaving." I smirked and opened the passenger door for her.

I wiggled my eyebrows and slapped her butt. "We wouldn't want that, would we? I have plans for you back at the hotel…jet…airport…on the boat ride…on the pier once we get to the island." I shut her door and climbed into the driver's side. "And let's not forget the beach, then right there against the threshold since I'll already have you in my arms. And that's all before I get you in bed." She laughed heartily and snickered something about having to take lots of baths. "That reminds me, we'll need to take a detour and go into the water. It's especially warm this time of year."

She raised an eyebrow as I drove out of the garage and onto the highway. She cocked her head to one side and put her hand on my thigh. That reminded me that I still haven't asked if she could give me a hand or, in this case, her mouth, on the drive over. I seemed to have a one track mind once we were out of the presence of our girls. It might have been because I knew I had complete and total access to my wife for the next two weeks.

And as I drove away, I thought that life was good for us, it wasn't perfect. Just because I had my ring on her finger didn't mean that life was drama free. Anything worth having meant I'd have to work to achieve it and keep working on it to maintain it.

Bella was a part of the center of my world and as she sighed softly, I knew I was hers, too. Along with our daughters, our family and the future that was still unwritten. A future that I looked forward to, but I was all right if it slowed down a little. Like at that moment, as she took my hand without thought, just instinct. It was a tiny moment and gesture that would seem insignificant to others, but meant the world to me.

I took her clasped hands and kissed hers. "What's on your mind?"

She gave me a small smile. "That how all this started wasn't because of a phone call from your sister, asking for help."

"Really? When do you think it all started?"

"It started when I broke into your room over a decade ago," she said, giggling.

I laughed and bit her wrist gently. "Not for me, it was when I saw you in my kitchen yelling at your brother and Jasper and threw a handful of condoms and said dick.

"Liar!" she gasped, still laughing.

"I'm not lying," I said playfully. "You filled those torn up jeans quite nicely, all snug and heart-shaped."

She grinned and rolled her eyes. "You were so damn cute, trying really hard to adjust yourself discreetly, blushing the whole time."

"Did not," I growled and bit her again. "I had a good excuse, I was eighteen and there was a girl in my room."

She laughed and cocked an eyebrow. "And what's your excuse now?" She motioned with her free hand toward my lap.

I grumbled and glared at her. "Easy, I can smell you. You know that's all it takes." I shivered as she led our intertwined hands to her lap. I swallowed hard and wondered if she'd mind if we pulled over and take that detour a little early.

She sniffed her arm, teasing me with a smirk. "But I smell like you."

Damn the woman knew how to play me so fucking good. "Exactly, and I need to make sure my scent remains on you." I grunted to show I meant it. Her free hand ran up my thigh, cupping me. I groaned and called her evil. And then she gave me what I had been thinking about since we got in the car, and I didn't even need to ask. Damn, I love my wife.

And twenty minutes later, I entered the hotel lobby with the biggest smile on my face with my wife by my side. I had a wonderful, loving and sexy as hell wife, two beautiful, healthy girls and a great supportive family. I held Bella's hand in mine as we climbed into the elevator, and all I could think that life couldn't get any better. And then I looked at my wife and wondered that that wasn't true. For every day that I wake by her side would be a better day than the one before.

~oOo~

"Edward?" Bella said as she curled her naked body against my side. I hummed to let her know I was listening, feeling sated and hungry. We'd been in our hotel room for hours, the sun starting to rise over the horizon. We had literally made love all night. "When do you want to try again? To have more children?"

I tensed and my eyes closed as the memories rushed behind my eyelids. Her hand that lay over my heart curled slightly, no doubt feeling the way it skipped into overdrive.

I turned away, ashamed about the fear I felt at her question. We discussed before that we wanted three or four children, but that was before I had almost lost her and Hayley. I'd never survive losing her or our child.

I looked over my shoulder and found her looking wary and scared. "I can't come that close again, baby."

She shifted, the sheet falling around her hip, and she pressed herself against my back. "The doctor said it wasn't because of any of my pre-existing conditions, Edward. It was because the placenta detached before I could deliver Hayley. It doesn't mean that it would happen again."

"It's not happening again," I said harshly. "We're not having anymore." She sighed against my shoulder blade and nodded. I felt her tears a second later. "Please tell me that you won't leave me because of that." My shoulders fell forward and she pulled away from me completely. Fuck, she was upset.

However, within moments she was in front of me, hands on her naked hips, glaring. All right, she was fucking pissed. And I'd given her a good reason to be. I wouldn't risk her to have more children.

"Did I give you any reason to believe that I would leave you for not wanting any more children?"

Wait, what? That was why she was mad, because I accused her of leaving because I couldn't give her what she wanted. I should've known better, but I knew I should clarify something.

"It's not that I don't _want_ more kids, you know I do. I just won't put you at risk."

Her glare softened. "First, I wouldn't leave you for something like that. Even if we didn't have the girls and you said you didn't want kids I'd be okay with it. It's not for everybody. And I understand your reasons, and a part of me is scared of that, too." She took my hands in hers and led them to her abdomen. To the incision that ultimately saved her life and Hayley's. "We'd take all the precautions. Including, delivering earlier and not waiting until I went into labor. That would take so much more stress from both me and the baby."

I sighed and slipped my hands from her front and around her back. Pulling her close, I rested my head on her chest. "What if you have twins again?"

"It's possible," she said softly. "More precautions."

"But if we had girls again, you'd be okay with that?"

Her fingers weaved through my hair. "If we only have girls, I'm all right with it."

I nodded and pressed a kiss over her heart. "I'm scared." She kissed the top of my hair, curling arms around my head and shoulders. "Would you be willing to wait until the girls are in pre-school?"

Bella sighed and pulled away. "Look at me, Edward." When I looked up, the small bemused look on her face fell further. She wiped beneath one of my eyes and kissed me softly. "We don't have to make any choices today or even next week. All that matters is that we talk about it before we put it to rest."

I nodded and took her in my arms again, falling into bed. And as she slept, I laid awake, dreaming of a son with my eyes and Bella's smile. There was no doubt in my mind that was what Bella had intended. I did want the family I wished I had before my parents had died. I was the only child and though the girls had each other it wasn't the same if they had a little brother or sister to watch over. A house full of kids, could we really do it?

"Aaron," Bella mumbled in her sleep. A name she said would be perfect for our son, my grandfather's middle name. "Stop reading your sister's diary." I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud. That would be something my son would do. Having another male in the house could have its merits.

I pulled Bella closer to my chest, kissing the top of her head. We had a lot to discuss, some time to do that and most of all the support we'd need if we chose to have more children.

And as I started to fall asleep, I wondered how long before the girls started to crawl into bed with us when it stormed outside or they had a nightmare. I grumbled for a moment, without any real anger in it, but realized that I'd soon have to start wearing clothes to bed. My hand curled around Bella's knee, bringing that special warm part of her that much closer to me.

I still had a little time left of mandatory naked nights and if I had to, I'd destroy all her lingerie. Bella moaned softly, rubbing herself against me. Cursing under my breath, I tried to keep my emerging erection from her. She had to be sore.

Then Bella surprised me and shifted to mount me. She giggled as my hands ran up her thighs. "I thought you were asleep," I groaned, gasping when she took me inside her.

"I was until you poked me," she said with a tiny moan and laugh.

"Sorry, I was thinking about you and…"

"I can guess."

"Are you complaining?" I asked, pulling her mouth down to mine. Her answer was a long drawn no.

Best fucking honeymoon ever – and it hadn't even started.

* * *

**AN: ****And I can mark this as complete. Just in case you all didn't know there is a "story" that contains outtakes from this story and it will be the place where I'd post future outtakes (yes, there will be some). I recently wrote their first time experience that I mentioned in this chapter and posted it there. **

**This had been such a long journey and I hope that you all feel that it was worth it. I'd like to thank all the people I've had help me plot and brainstorm about this story. To kellyam for being there since the beginning, to lisa89 for helping me get through some of the toughest parts of this story, and my pre-readers that helped encourage me and crack the whip. To BookishQua for your help and mentoring through this ending that seemed never to want to come to me. **

**And last but not least, my readers. Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout this story. I know it hasn't been easy but you all still stayed with me. Thank you. I am getting the entire thing beta'ed soon, and once it is I'll be offering a PDF file that I'd post on my profile. That does NOT mean I'll remove it from my story lists, I promise. Thanks again, love you all. **


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